More than 60% of Brazil’s green space is preserved, says Bolsonaro

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro (PL, right), a candidate for re-election, said Monday, 22, that more than 60% of Brazil’s green areas are preserved, despite criticism from leaders and non-governmental organizations regarding deforestation.

This statement was made during an interview with the Jornal Nacional, a news show.

“Brazil preserves 66% of its green space. Brazil cannot be attacked in this way. Without the Brazilian agricultural industry, the world will starve,” he said.

Speaking about environmental issues in the Amazon region, Bolsonaro referred to the large green spaces preserved in the region, which he compared to Western Europe.

Earlier this year, the Ministries of Environment and of Justice and Public Security announced Operation ‘Guardians of the Deforestation Biome’.

The operation focused on combating deforestation and illegal fires in the Amazon region, mobilized 1.2 thousand officers from the Federal Police (PF) and the Federal Police (PRF), the National Public Security Forces, Ibama, and ICMBio, and also counted on the support of state public security forces.

“No one wants to destroy forests by choice,” the president said.

During the show, the president criticized what he called the “abuses” of some employees of the Brazilian Environmental Institute (Ibama) in the fight against deforestation in the region.

Bolsonaro was referring to the agency’s employees destroying equipment used in environmental crimes.

“There are abuses by certain parties, like Ibama. What do Ibama personnel often do? They set fires. The law does not say if the place is allowed or not. My orientation is to comply with the law,” he said.