As U.S. and Brazil discuss the Amazon, civil society says “don’t trust Bolsonaro”

While still a candidate to the presidency of the U.S., Joe Biden promised to donate money to fight deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. He even threatened to impose sanctions on Brazil, were the country to fail to impede rainforest destruction.

“The rainforests in Brazil are being torn down,” Mr. Biden said, during a September debate. “I would be gathering up and making sure we had the countries of the world coming up with USD 20 billion, and say, ‘Here’s USD 20 billion. Stop tearing down the forest. And if you don’t then you’re gonna have significant economic consequences.’”

At the time, Brazil’s Environment Minister Ricardo Salles mocked Mr. Biden’s offer, asking if he intended to donate USD 20 billion “yearly.” President Jair Bolsonaro was equally critical, saying the Democratic candidate’s words were “lamentable” and stressing that Brazilian sovereignty is “not up for negotiation.”

Mr. Bolsonaro went all-in on Donald Trump’s re-election, showing the former president unquestionable support — even telling Mr. Trump “I love you” during a brief meeting at the 2019 UN General Assembly. This adoration was not reciprocal, however, and Mr. Trump did not make a single visit to Brazil during his term.

When Joe Biden came out on top in last year’s election — a result that the Brazilian government took an age to recognize — Messrs. Bolsonaro and Salles came under internal and external criticism.

In February — with Mr. Biden in the White House — Ricardo Salles and then-Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo held a videoconference with U.S. climate envoy John Kerry to discuss climate change. Despite ridiculing Mr. Biden’s offer last year, the pair requested aid from the U.S. to fight deforestation.

Mr. Salles also spoke of his desire for an international agreement to preserve the Amazon. However, if conditions in the rainforest have worsened in recent years, Ricardo Salles deserves a large part of the blame. In the...