Brazil Environmental Fines Fall 20% as Deforestation Soars

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Brazil’s main environmental enforcement agency, Ibama, handed out 20% fewer fines in 2020, a Brazilian non-profit factchecking initiative said on Tuesday, as the government rolls back conservation efforts and Amazon deforestation skyrockets.

The federal agency gave out 9,516 fines in 2020 compared with 11,914 in 2019, according to an analysis of public databases by Fakebook.eco, which is run by the Climate Observatory campaign group.

Since assuming office in 2019, right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro has sought to weaken Ibama here by cutting its funding and installing managers who have promoted softer tactics against illegal logging, farming and mining.