Brasilia, August 28: The Brazilian government has on Tuesday said it was keen to accept the G7 aid-offer worth USD 22 million to fight wildfires in the world’s largest rainforests, Amazon, but putting forth a condition if it could only determine how the funds to be used.
According to Strait Times, the statement by presidential spokesperson Rego Barros comes after states’ governors in the Brazilian Amazon told President Jair Bolsonaro they required those funds to support fight against the wildfires in the rainforests.
“The Brazilian government, through its president, is open to receiving financial support from organizations and countries. This money, when it enters the country, will have the total governance of the Brazilian people,” Barros said.
In a separate statement, a diplomatic source told Reuters in Brasilia the government had accepted Britain’s aid-offer of £10 million (S$17 million) to battle the Amazon fires.
The government of Brazil has on Tuesday said it will dismiss an offer of financial aid worth USD 22 million to fight Amazon Fires jointly from Group of Seven (G7) nations’ prominent leaders.
On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron – who is hosting the G7 summit in a French city of Biarritz that began from Sunday, has said G7 leaders have decided to provide $22 million (£18m) to the Brazilian government to tackle wildfires in the Amazon Rainforests.
Prominent world leaders at the G7 summit in the French city of Biarritz have on Monday vowed to allocate USD 22 million in total to fight the Amazon fires in Brazil, a threat to the world’s largest rainforest.
However, the Brazilian president accused Macron of declaring “unreasonable and gratuitous attacks against the Amazon region”, and “hiding his intentions behind the idea of an ‘alliance’ of G7 countries”.
Despite refusal by Bolsonaro, the country’s environment minister Ricardo Salles told reporters initially the fundings were welcome.
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- G7 summit nations pledge USD 22 million to fight Amazon Fires
- Amazon Fires : Brazil government rejects $22m G7 aid-offer to tackle wildfires in world’s largest Rainforests