Brazil: Minister of Environment contests the government and says Ibama’s decision against Petrobras will be respected

Brazil’s Minister of Environment Marina Silva said on Tuesday (23) that Ibama’s decision to deny the environmental license for Petrobras to drill a well to extract oil at the mouth of the Amazon River must be respected.

The statement comes at a moment of tension between the agency and the government.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) said he would intervene to “understand” the impacts that extraction can bring to the region’s ecosystem.

“The opinion of Ibama, considering the unanimous position of ten technicians who analyzed the request for a license to drill an exploratory well, was against it.”

“From now on, what is established is compliance with the law.”

“It is a technical decision, and the technical decision in a republican and democratic government is fulfilled and respected, based on evidence”, she said.

The license for the enterprise was officially denied last week, and the case generated great political repercussions and led to the disaffiliation of Senator Randolfe Rodrigues from Rede Sustentabilidade.

He is the leader of the government in the Senate.

Petrobras said it was surprised by Ibama’s decision and that the company met the conditions imposed by the authority.

The state-owned company also said it would present new environmental impact studies to plead for a new license.

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