Fire in the Amazon: Brazil rejects emergency aid from the G7

In Biarritz, members of the G7 pledged US $ 20 million in emergency aid (about € 17.9 million) to fight the fire in the South American rainforest. Brazil rejects the money, however.

The $ 20 million would rather be used to reforest the forests in Europe, said Onyx Lorenzoni, Cabinet Chief of President Jair Bolsonaro, the news portal G1. The presidential office confirmed AFP's refusal of emergency aid. Brazil's Environment Minister Ricardo Salles had initially welcomed the support of the G7.

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With the money of the G7 were to be financed mainly airplanes, had announced French President Emmanuel Macron at the meeting of the leading industrialized countries.

Brazil thanks for the help offered, Lorenzoni said. "But perhaps it would be more important to reforest Europe with the means." At the same time he called Macron, this should rather take care of the problems in "at home" and in the French "colonies".

The Brazilian government has repeatedly sharply attacked Macron over the past few days as the French president put the Amazon forest fires on the agenda of the G7 summit. Bolsonaro himself accused Macron of a "colonialist mentality," an "instrumentalization" of the Amazon forest fires, and a "sensationalist tone." The ultra-right politician did not even shy away from a sexist attack on Macron's wife Brigitte.

In Brazil, the heaviest forest fires have been raging for years. Since January, the number of fire and fire clearing in the largest country in South America compared to the same period last year rose by 78 percent to more than 80,000 fires, according to the latest figures from the Brazilian space agency Inpe. In most cases, privately owned land was affected, but also in nature reserves and lands of the indigenous population are constantly breaking out of fire.

Environmentalists and indigenous groups accuse Bolsonaro of creating a climate where farmers, loggers and gold diggers are encouraged to keep digging. According to media reports, farmers in the state of Pará have agreed to a "day of the fire" and set fire to large forest areas.