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The Ministry of the Environment backed down tonight and announced the “unlocking” of the R $ 60 million destined to combat deforestation in Brazil. Three hours earlier, the portfolio had reported that the Ministry of Economy had suspended the funds from IBAMA and ICMbio.
Without the R $ 60 million, all operations against illegal deforestation in the Legal Amazon would be interrupted, as well as all operations to combat burning in the Pantanal and other regions of Brazil. The initiative drew criticism from Greenpeance, WWF and the mayor, Rodrigo Maia.
“The Ministry of the Environment reports that this afternoon there was an economic release of resources from IBAMA and ICMBIO and that, therefore, operations to combat illegal deforestation and fires will continue as normal,” says the updated note.
The confusion generated differences between Vice President Hamilton Mourão and the Minister of the Environment, Ricardo Salles. Mourão said the portfolio owner was “hasty” and said the cuts would not occur. On the other hand, Salles said the money was released only after the announcement.
“Not true. It was already locked and now they unlocked it. But I’m not going to argue with the vice president, I respect him very much. They unlocked it after the note [do ministério]”, the minister told Globo.
Asked by the newspaper if he had tried to dialogue with the government about the blockade before its publication, Salles said that he sought out the Minister of the Civil House, Braga Netto, and the Ministry of Economy, who said that the order was to withdraw money from the inspection to subsidize the government. creation of Pro-Brasil.
“I spoke with Braga Netto yesterday, I spoke with Economy and Economy, he said it was the decision of the Civil House and Segov (Government Secretariat). That is what is in the note. So, that is. They wanted Pro-Brasil, but It cannot get out of deforestation. It was going to stop all Monday, “he added.
In a note, the folder stated this afternoon that the blocked funds would be: R $ 20,972,195.00 from Ibama (Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) and R $ 39,787,964.00 from ICMBio (Instituto Chico Mendes Conservation of The Biodiversity).
The amount would be added to the reduction of another R $ 120 million already foreseen as a budget cut in the environment area for the year 2021.
Operations would be affected as of Monday (31) and would include, in the area of firefighting in Ibama, the demobilization of 1,346 brigades, 86 trucks, 10 trucks and 4 helicopters. In Ibama’s activities related to combating illegal deforestation, 77 inspectors, 48 vehicles and 2 helicopters would be demobilized.
Under ICMbio, 324 inspectors would be demobilized in operations to combat illegal deforestation, in addition to 459 brigades and 10 Air Tractor planes working to fight fires.
According to Secretary Esteves Colnago, from the Ministry of Economy, the blockade had been decided by the Government Secretariat and the Civil House of the Presidency of the Republic.
Criticism of Brazil
The confusion over actions against deforestation comes at a time when the government of President Jair Bolsonaro (without a party) has been harshly criticized inside and outside the country for the destruction of the Amazon rainforest.
Brazilian businessmen and foreign investors have demanded more effective actions from the government for the region, since there have been repercussions in the economic sphere.
On the eve of the ministry’s announcement, in a virtual event, the Vice President of the Republic, Hamilton Mourão, who is president of the Council of the Amazon, had downplayed criticism of actions in relation to the region.
Mourão had defended that it is necessary to demystify the Amazon biome and that it is necessary to fight with arguments the vision that the world has about the region, adding that it is not the entire forest that burns.
Recent data published by the journal Science shows that deforestation in the Amazon continues to occur at an accelerated rate.
Figures from Deter, a rapid alert survey for evidence of changes in forest cover in the Amazon conducted by Inpe (National Institute for Space Research), show a growing problem in Brazil in the last 12 months.
According to the publication, which will be released in full tomorrow, there was a 28% increase in forest deforestation from August 2019 to July 2020, compared to the same period in previous years.
