The first year that Bolsonaro agreed to the presidency of the Republic was a disaster for the Amazon, the quintessential green lung of the planet. The Real Time Deforestation Detection System of the Brazilian National Institute of Space Research (INPE) published in early 2020 that the area of "deforestation observations" reached 9,166 square kilometers and in 2018, 4,946 square kilometers, an increase of 85%. The past decade was the time when forests have been destroyed the most. Forecasts suggest that 2020 could be worse if current fires keep pace.

According to El Salto, only in the first ten days of August were detected 10,136 fires throughout the Brazilian Amazon, 17% more than in the same time of the previous year, and the highest figure, according to the evolution of the last decade.

Human Rights Watch (HRW), which reported the situation on 26 August, published a report denouncing that this year’s fires may be even worse. Despite the binding nature of the National Climate Change Policy, the Brazilian Government committed to reducing the annual global deforestation rate to 3,925 square kilometres, but the new areas destroyed in April were 4,509 square kilometres. In addition, compared to the previous month, more fires were recorded, 28% more than in the same month of the previous year.

Effect Bolsonaro

Both the scientific community and the environmental movement have underlined Bolsonaro's influence in the disaster area. The exploitation plans of the Amazon have removed competences and resources from public administrations, such as the Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources of Brazil (IBAMA), linked to the Ministry of the Environment and responsible for developing the National Environmental Policy.

Rapaz

The journal Global Rural warned that on August 7, 2019, three days before “Fire Day”, massive fires began in the region of Novo Pogresso. In the state of Pará, a group of 70 people coordinated via whatsapp to set fire to the margins of the BR-163, which caused minor damage. Within this group were landowners, rural producers, traders and trade unionists. Although this information was disclosed to the Ministry of the Environment, no action was taken. It seems that this year has also been the same problem. Researchers and the environment have denounced that the 120-day moratorium in the area to ban fires and monitor the military has been "an ineffective measure", according to HRW. "Forest fires in the Amazon rainforest do not occur naturally," the NGO said in a statement. "After deforestation, there are fires intentional to clean up land and promote agricultural, livestock and real estate speculation, often illegally. There are more fires in August or September."

Production account

According to the Brazilian study The rotting apples of agribusiness, published in July in Science magazine, about 20% of soy exports and 17% of South American beef exports come from areas with illegal deforestation activity in the Amazon. Researchers accused Bolsonaro of boosting deforestation "in contravention of the Brazilian Forestry Code and the soybean moratorium agreement," which violates the norm prohibiting logging forests for grain production.