- Brazil’s President Lula has issued six decrees effective January 2 revoking or altering anti-environmental and indigenous measures by his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro.
- One decree abolished mining on indigenous lands and protected areas, another reinstated plans to combat deforestation in the Amazon and Cerrado biomes, and a third decreed various Revive the Amazon Fund, the pool of money provided to Brazil by developed countries to fund programs. The goal was to stop the deforestation that had stalled under the Bolsonaro regime.
- Shortly after, Norway announced it would immediately release already available funds for new projects, saying that “President Lula confirmed his ambition to reduce deforestation and reinstated the governance structure of the Amazon Fund.” Did.
- In an unprecedented move in Brazil’s history, Lula also established the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, keeping a promise to the indigenous peoples who supported his candidacy to “fight 500 years of inequality.”
Brasilia, Brazil — On the first day of his third term as President of Brazil, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva announced measures to protect the Amazon and its indigenous peoples. Indigenous times of his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro.
Six decrees, which came into force on January 2, canceled or changed measures imposed by the Bolsonaro administration. This includes repealing decrees that encouraged mining on indigenous lands and protected areas, resuming plans to combat deforestation in the Amazon and Cerrado biomes, and resuming deforestation. The Amazon Fund is a pool of money given to Brazil by developed countries to finance various programs aimed at halting deforestation, which has stalled under the Bolsonaro regime.
“Our goal is to achieve zero deforestation in the Amazon and zero greenhouse gas emissions in the electricity matrix, in addition to promoting the reuse of degraded pastures. We don’t need to cut down forests to maintain and expand our agricultural frontier,” Lula said in his inaugural address before the National Congress on Jan. 1. “We will not tolerate violence against minorities, deforestation, and environmental destruction that have already caused so much damage to our country.” has destroyed environmental protection,” he said.
Shortly after the decree was published in the Brazilian Official Gazette, Norway announced that it would immediately release already available funding for new projects. “On the first day, President Lula confirmed his ambition to reduce deforestation and restored the governance structure of the Amazon Fund. We have confirmed with Norway’s understanding,” said the Norwegian Minister for Climate and Environment. announced Twitter January 2nd.
Silva is Brazil’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change. The name of the ministry has also added “Climate Change” to the previous name of the Ministry of the Environment. “The world expects Brazil to once again become a leader in tackling the climate crisis and a role model for a socially and environmentally responsible country,” said Lula.
Day 1, President @LulaOfficial Confirming his ambition to reduce deforestation, he reinstated the governance structure of the Amazon Fund.Today I confirmed @MarinaSilva 🇧🇷 Norway understands that this will allow immediate re-opening of the fund. @SvenjaSchulze68
— Espen Barth Eide (@EspenBarthEide) January 2, 2023
in total, 3.3 billion reais ($607 million) Tasso Azevedo, part of Lula’s migration team, said on Twitter that it’s already available in both Norway and Germany. Another Lula decree restructured the environmental sanctions process, which Azevedo said had “undermined” over the past four years. “This will prevent 18 billion reais. [$3.3 billion] fined for overdue, he Said on Twitter. Azevedo is the coordinator of MapBiomas, a network of NGOs, universities and technology companies, including Google, which monitors land use in the country.
There was also an order to increase transparency and reinstate social participation in the decision-making process of the National Environment Council and the Deliberative Council of the National Environment Fund (FNMA).
Environmentalists applauded the move. “After four years of sweeping dismantlement of social and environmental legislation, the current government is beginning to rebuild the normative foundations destroyed by the previous government,” said the rights nonprofit Instituto Socioambiental (ISA). ) said Mauricio Guetta, legal adviser to . Writing in analysis of indigenous and traditional communities.
Guetta said the newly reopened plan to combat deforestation revived efforts that reduced deforestation rates by 83% between 2004 and 2012, adding that “social participation can again serve as a guide for the application of public policy.” would,’ he said. According to him, due to changes during the Bolsonaro administration regarding environmental sanctions, the number of tests at the Environment Agency has gone from an average of 5,300 per year from 2014 to 2018, he said, to just 113 in 2019 and 113 in 2020. It has been reduced to just 17 cases. The current administration’s new regulations have resolved these threats and re-established the regular processing of breach notification procedures, an important mechanism to deter environmental crimes from being committed. ”
He said he expected another “retraction” and code revision in the coming days, “given the depth of the abyss” of the past four years under Bolsonaro.
An unprecedented ministry of indigenous peoples
In an unprecedented act in Brazilian history, Lula also established the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, keeping his promise to the indigenous peoples who supported his candidacy.
“Indigenous peoples need to demarcate their lands and free themselves from the threat of illegal and predatory economic activities. They must protect their culture, respect their dignity and ensure sustainability. We have to,” Lula said in her inaugural address at the presidential palace. “They are not an obstacle to development. They are the guardians of our rivers and forests and a fundamental part of our greatness as a nation. That is why we established the
“What a special day, honored to be the first minister to be sworn in by President Lula! And the day the people move forward! [Land] Boundaries now! Sonia Guajajara posted on Instagram shortly after.
“I am honored to be the first minister sworn in by a @lulaoficial president. It’s a special day. And tell people to move forward! Boundaries now!” Video by @guajajarasonia via Instagram.
“No one knows or protects our forests better than those who have been here since time immemorial. Each demarcated land is a new area of conservation. ‘ said Lula at the National Assembly. “We will eliminate all injustices committed against indigenous peoples.”
Another unprecedented move at Lula’s inauguration was the presence of prominent 92-year-old Indigenous leader Raoni Metuktile, seven other representatives of social groups that reflect the country’s diversity, and even the dog Resistência. was to climb the presidential ramp next to[Resistance]In 2018, shortly after Lula’s arrest, he turned up at a Workers’ Party extremist camp and was adopted by him and his wife, Losangela Lula da Silva, known as Janja da Silva.
Lula received presidential sashes from eight attendees when Bolsonaro flew to Florida on Dec. 30 — following in the footsteps of Donald Trump and his successor, President Joe Biden’s 2020 I also skipped the inauguration of the year.
Banner image: The first day of 2023 when President Lula took office. Image by Mídia NINJA via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0).
Carla Mendes I am a Staff Contributing Editor in Mongabay, Brazil. Find her on her Twitter: @karlamendes
Feedback: Use this form to send a message to the author of this post. If you would like to post a public comment, you can do so at the bottom of the page.
Related reading:
COP27: ‘Brazil is back’ to fight deforestation, says Lula, but hurdles await
