The Amazon countries want to better protect the world’s largest tropical forest, which is currently ravaged by devastating fires. That’s what they agreed yesterday at a summit meeting in Colombia’s Leticia.
In a joint statement, they announced the establishment of a cooperation network to exchange, inter alia, weather data and information on illegal logging and illegal mines. The „Leticia Pact for the Amazon“ was signed by seven countries: Colombia and Peru as co-organizers of the summit, as well as Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia, Suriname and Guyana.
Duque: „Decisive for the survival of our planet“
To kick off the meeting, Colombian President Ivan Duque had demanded that the protection of the rainforest must be improved: „This is crucial for the survival of our planet.“
Bolsonaro canceled participation due to the operation
Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro had canceled his participation for medical reasons, he is scheduled to undergo surgery on the weekend. Through video-sharing, he challenged his colleagues against attempts to internationalize the protection of the rainforest: „We must take a strong position and defend our sovereignty so that each country can develop the best policy for the Amazon region. We must not give that into the hands of other countries. “
The world’s largest tropical forest, which plays a crucial role in the global climate, is currently ravaging the heaviest fires in years. The far-right politician and climate skeptic Bolsonaro took reluctant countermeasures and is therefore internationally criticized.
