Brazil’s environment minister resigns amid criticism and inquiries

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RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) Brazilian Environment Minister Ricardo Salles announced his resignation on Wednesday, abandoning his post amid strong criticism of his tenure and two investigations into his actions involving allegedly illegal logging operations.

The move comes as talks with the US government to curb Amazon deforestation have run into hurdles. Salles had insisted that Brazil needed external financial support to take stronger action, while critics warned Washington to wait for concrete results before reaching a deal with a Brazilian administration that has hampered enforcement of environmental laws.

I understand that Brazil this year and next year, for its international and national agenda, needs a very strong union of interests and efforts and, for this to be possible as harmoniously as possible, I tendered my resignation to the president, Salles told reporters Presidential Palace.

Salles and President Jair Bolsonaro have been strong supporters of development in the Amazon, which critics say has encouraged land grabbing and illegal mining in protected areas. As some foreign investors began to express concern over increasing deforestation, Bolsonaro’s administration received no reprimands from then-US President Donald Trump for his environmental policies.

During an election campaign last year, US President Joe Biden called on Brazil to curb Amazon deforestation in order to slow climate change, and this year his administration has started talks with the Salles ministry to try to find solutions.

Preliminary data, based on satellite imagery, has shown a year-over-year increase in Amazon deforestation for three consecutive months, the last time being 41% in May. The data is considered a reliable leading indicator for more comprehensive calculations released at the end of the year.

Brazilian activists said Salles’ departure was late.

Adriana Ramos, political and legal program coordinator at the nonprofit Socio-Environmental Institute, said Salles’s tenure will be remembered by the loss of international trust, increased emissions from deforestation and dismantling. environmental controls.

Mrcio Astrini, executive secretary of the Climate Observatory, a network of environmental groups, told The Associated Press that Salles’ legacy is “the worst possible.

“There have been two consecutive years of deforestation in the Amazon, fires in Brazil and invasions of public spaces. It has crippled the collection of environmental fines, persecuted inspectors and followed a path of environmental destruction in the country, Asstrini said.

Talks between the Biden administration and the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment are “paralyzed, Senator Katia Abreu, who heads the Brazilian Senate’s foreign relations committee, said Tuesday in a statement provided to AP. She said this reflects the dissatisfaction of the United States and the need for changes by Brazil in order to restore dialogue.

Spokesman for the United States Embassy in Brasilia, Tobias Bradford, said in a statement that the United States remains committed to partnering with Brazil to tackle climate change and that its position on the conversations with his government had not changed.

Neither Bradford nor Brazil’s Ministries of Environment and Foreign Affairs provided information regarding the date of the last meeting.

Environment ministry officials, including Salles, are under investigation for possibly facilitating the export of illegally cut timber. A separate investigation is investigating whether Salles obstructed an illegal timber seizure operation. Salles denied wrongdoing in both cases.

It is not possible for people to criminalize different opinions, viewpoints. The Brazilian company needs the breakthrough, Salles said on Wednesday. We meet a lot of objections about measures that have been taken or planned, an attempt to label them as non-compliance with the laws or the constitution, which is not true.

Speaking at an event on Tuesday, Bolsonaro praised Salles and said his job was no easy task.

Astrini, of the Climate Observatory, and other environmental groups have expressed skepticism that the eventual replacement of Salles will mark the start of a change in policy.

“The real head of environmental policy in Brazil is Bolsonaro. As we have seen in other ministries, he is able to change ministers, but who controls politics is the president, Astrini said.

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