• Fires Bolsonaro hints that NGOs may be behind fires
  • Bolsonaro. "The Amazon is not a world heritage site, it is not the lungs of the Earth"
  • Crisis in the Amazon. Who are the indigenous friends of Bolsonaro?
  • Save the Amazon Bolsonaro also signed the 'Leticia Pact'
  • Analysis: Why do they set the Amazon on fire?

A Supreme Court magistrate has asked the president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, to explain a statement he made two months ago, when he suggested that the fires unleashed in the Amazon could have been caused by NGOs.

The request for explanations, which Bolsonaro has no obligation to answer , was addressed to the president by Judge Alexandre de Moraes , one of the eleven members of the Supreme Court and whose office confirmed the request on Saturday, linked to an action presented by the environmental group 'Terrazul alternative' .

Last August, when alarm began to break out in the world over the vast fires in the Amazon region, Bolsonaro hinted that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) could have given rise to the flames.

"There may be, yes, and I am not affirming, a criminal action by those 'oenegeros' to call attention against me, against the Government of Brazil, and that is the war we face," Bolsonaro told reporters, whose aggressive Policies for the commercial exploitation of the Amazon already raised controversies.

The Amazon burns for more than 15 days and criticisms of Bolsonaro for deforestation arise

Bolsonaro reinforced his thesis and cited that his Government has "cut off the public money that went to the NGOs" that operate in the Amazon , with projects "supposedly" aimed at caring for the ecosystem.

"In that way, these personnel are feeling the lack of money," added the ultra-right ruler, who also said that the NGOs operating in the Amazon "represent interests of others" to Brazil.

In a document sent to the Presidency, Judge De Moraes indicated that the request for explanations is intended to clarify "ambiguous situations" that could lead to demands for "some kind of offense to honor."

Among other points, the judge asks Bolsonaro to specify which NGOs may have caused the fires, maintain a "campaign" against the Brazilian government or represent "foreign interests."

The magistrate indicated, however, that the request for explanations was sent at the request of the 'Terrazul Alternative' group and that the head of state has no express obligation to answer it, although he can take advantage of it to "clarify" his statements.

The fires, which worsened between August and September, were considered the worst in the last decade and environmental organizations around the world attributed them to the policies that Bolsonaro has implemented, which has minimized the budget for the care and supervision of The Amazon region.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Brazil
  • Jair Bolsonaro
  • international

BrazilThe knife used to attack Jair Bolsonaro will be assigned to a museum

UEA Brazilian activists and Russian opponent Alexei Navalny, nominated for the Sakharov Prize

United Kingdom Boris Johnson plans to suspend Parliament again