While the pandemic has terrorized Brazil, deforestation has not let up whatsoever. On Friday, official data showed that deforestation levels in June were over 10 percent higher than last year, making that the 14th consecutive month of increasing rates of forest destruction in the Amazon basin.
While this may seem trivial at a time when over 75,000 Brazilians have died from Covid-19 and the economy is tanking, a continuation of this rising trend of deforestation could lead to grave financial, political and humanitarian problems in the near future.
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On this episode:
- Sam Cowie is a British journalist specialized in covering the Amazon region. He has been published by Al Jazeera, BBC, The Guardian, The Intercept.
- Natália Scalzaretto covers markets for The Brazilian Report. She has worked for companies such as Santander Brasil and Reuters, where she covered news ranging from commodities to technology.
Background reading:
- Follow our Covid-19 Live Blog coverage.
- Speaking to The Brazilian Report, Environment Minister Ricardo Salles denied that the government encourages deforestation.
- After Mr. Salles promised to “run the cattle herd” through the Amazon, here is what he has done so far.
- Check out Sam’s Financial Times short film about how crime & corruption drive destruction in Brazil’s Amazon.
- Read Amnesty International’s report on illegal cattle grazing in the Amazon.
Explaining Brazil is made by:
- Gustavo Ribeiro is the editor-in-chief of The Brazilian Report. He has extensive experience covering Brazilian politics. His work has been featured across Brazilian and French media outlets, including Veja, Época, Folha de S.Paulo, Médiapart, and Radio France Internationale.
- Euan Marshall is a journalist and translator who has lived in São Paulo, Brazil since 2011. Specializing in Brazilian soccer, politics and the connection between the two, his work has been published in The Telegraph, Al Jazeera, The Independent, among others.
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