Happy Monday! Farmers or the Brazilian energy consumers: who does Bolsonaro side with in water dilemma? Covid hearings: the evidence so far.
Energy crisis creates agribusiness problem for Bolsonaro
Following a particularly dry 2020-2021 summer, Brazil’s reservoirs are approaching their lowest levels on record and the country faces an imminent energy crisis. A response could come from a piece of legislation giving the government more power over reservoirs — to the detriment of environmental agencies.
- However, the Bolsonaro administration is facing a new challenge: members of the House’s rural caucus are disgruntled by what they see as the government’s neglect for agricultural producers’ water needs for irrigation.
What they are saying. The majority whip in the House wants the government to compensate producers for their losses on a case-by-case basis.
- The former president of the rural caucus also demanded Congress vote on bills forbidding the government from choosing energy production over irrigation needs when deciding how reservoirs should be used.
Why it matters. With nearly 60 percent of its electricity coming from hydroelectric power stations, the Brazilian government is, apparently, damned if it does, and damned if it doesn’t.
- Picking rural producers over increasing the country’s energy production could...