[ad_1]
President Jair Bolsonaro withdrew from his promise to present an alleged list of countries that would have bought illegal timber from Brazil. Last Tuesday, at the BRICS summit, he said he would show that list. Hours later, speaking with supporters, he said he would do it during his weekly live on social networks. In today’s broadcast, he said that France is on that list and accused the European country of being the biggest obstacle to the implementation of the free trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union.
Bolsonaro’s threats came amid increased pressure from European countries for Brazil to promote actions to combat deforestation.
At today’s concert, however, he used a softer tone. He began by saying that he did not want to “accuse country A, B or C of committing crimes.” And it ended up not showing the list.
Previously, Vice President Hamilton Mourão had reflected on the matter and said that companies that import wood are companies and not countries.
Bolsonaro, however, cited some European countries in the broadcast. He said Britain is using Brazil as a “calling card” for the United Nations climate summit, which will take place in Scotland in 2021, by proposing a law to ban imports of raw materials from deforesting countries.
He also cited Germany as one of the countries with the most ivory trade, although there are no elephants there. And he said that France is among the countries that buy illegal timber.
“I saw that there are several countries, the amount [de madeiras] that are imported annually, if you take it here, here is also France, the kind of wood, “he said.” If an amount of ipe is taken, for example, between several countries, that amount is much greater than what is allowed to be extracted in the legal reserve, management area “.
He made this statement when he responded to a question from a journalist from the radio station “Jovem Pan” about whether France’s accusations are due to the fact that the country is a competitor to Brazil in raw materials.
“The big problem for us to advance in the agreement of the European Union with Mercosur is exactly in France,” he said. “We are doing our best, but France, in self-defense, stands in the way.”
Jair Bolsonaro – Photo: Pablo Jacob / Agência O Globo