Ricardo Salles Arrives in Washington Hoping to Raise Brazil’s Image Abroad

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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Environment Minister Ricardo Salles arrived in Washington on Wednesday, September 18th. He was received at the US Chamber of Commerce by NGO protesters like Greenpeace, Code Pink, and Amazon Watch, who called him a “terrorist” and a “traitor”.

Representing a government where some of its members either challenge or deny global warming, Salles is expected to use his trip to mitigate the damage that the fires in the Amazon have caused to Brazil’s image. On Saturday, he will go to New York and join the Brazilian delegation at the UN General Assembly, beginning on Tuesday, September 24th.

Although this is an official visit, the minister’s spokesperson was reluctant during the week to disclose the agenda’s details. The staff also failed to report to the press where the minister is staying. Furthermore, all meetings are closed to the press.

As part of the institutional tour, intended to speak to the foreign public, Salles began with a visit to the Wall Street Journal. He also intended to meet with Reuters and Bloomberg media outlets. Regarding the investors he met at the US Chamber of Commerce, Salles told reporters that there is “optimism” about Brazil.

In addition to the foreign press and the EPA (US environmental protection agency), the other meetings planned for the minister have a business perspective. He may visit chemical company Bayer and the IDB (Inter-American Development Bank).

Conversely, the meeting with the leader of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a controversial institute that challenges global warming, was canceled, claiming that there is scaremongering on the subject. The ministry says there was a scheduling conflict.

There is no meeting with US political officials on the agenda. There is, however, growing pressure from US legislators for the government of Jair Bolsonaro to solve the Amazon crisis once and for all.

On Tuesday, September 17th, Democratic Congressman Peter DeFazio led a group of legislators who sent letters to several multinational companies to pressure Brazil into protecting the forest. Companies that received the letter include Nestlé, Danone, Kellogg’s, L’Oreal and Unilever. DeFazio also calls for companies to stop importing Brazilian soybeans and meat and for Congress to prevent the US from negotiating a trade agreement with Brazil.

In the Senate, Democrat Bob Menendez led a group of senators calling on Donald Trump’s administration to help Brazil fight the fires. The letter signed by the group expresses concern over Bolsonaro’s policies. The text criticizes, for instance, the president’s hostility to existing conservation laws.

Bolsonaro’s discourse on environmental policies and his team’s involvement, including Minister Salles, with sectors interested in exploiting the Amazon, were viewed as an incentive to burn the forest.

Source: Folhapress