Since assuming office at the top of the year, Bolsonaro has enacted a series of environmental policies geared toward destroying the Amazon rainforest and opening the excavated land up to agribusiness and other developments. A climate change skeptic, he has continuously criticized the existence of indigenous lands, claiming they prevent Brazil from reaching its full economic potential.
“I think that he’s cornered, and he’s trying to get out of the situation by accusing others of something that he himself is responsible for,” August contended.
In addition to wildfires brought on by deforestation, Brazil’s part of the global food chain is also being assaulted by pesticides. Within the past three months, over half a billion bees have died in the country - and once again, researchers link the alarming occurrence to Bolsonaro.
A 2019 investigation conducted by Greenpeace’s environmental news team Unearthed found that the country has exhibited a 27% increase in pesticide use since Bolsonaro assumed office in January. In fact, Brazil has become the world’s leading purchaser of weed- and pest-killing chemicals.
Even with the Brazilian president receiving global pushback from environmental activist groups like Extinction Rebellion and added pressure from world leaders such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Bolsonaro remains set on not accepting responsibility for the environmental destruction that’s occurring.
These alarming environmental concerns, coupled with Bolsonaro’s coziness with US President Donald Trump - which almost resulted in a US military base and troops in Brazil - may do irreversible damage to the Latin American country.
“Can the Brazilian people wait until 2021?” August questioned in reference to the country’s next presidential election.