Brazilian President Bolsonaro says he will accept offer of $20M in international aid to help fight fires raging across Amazon rainforest -- if French President Macron apologizes to him first.
Macron on Monday assured Bolsonaro that the international offer comes with only good intentions.
"We respect your sovereignty. It's your country," he said, according to the AP. But"the Amazon forest is a subject for the whole planet. We can help you reforest. We can find the means for your economic development that respects the natural balance. But we cannot allow you to destroy everything." The Amazon rainforest, which sprawls across nine countries and is the largest rainforest in the world, has been burning at a record rate, according to Brazil's National Institute for Space Research. More than 74,000 fires have been observed in Brazil alone this year, almost double the total for 2018.
Bolsonaro, who took office in January, has faced a backlash for rolling back environmental protections that have paved the way for the illegal clearing of forests in favor of cattle farming and agriculture. Last week, he posted a video to Facebook blaming nongovernmental organizations for setting the blazes as a tactic to malign him, although he provided no evidence for the claim.
Environmentalists say preserving the Amazon is essential because deforestation only exacerbates the effects of climate change, leads to the loss of biodiversity and could
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