Amazon wildfire: Brazil may turn down G7 assistance

Amazon wildfire: Brazil may turn down G7 assistance

Brazil will turn down the assistance, proposed by the G7 nations, in fighting heavy wildfires that are raging in the Amazonian region, Chief of Staff of the Presidency Onyx Lorenzoni said.

On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that the G7 would urgently allocate some 20 million euros ($22 million) to fight the wildfires in the Amazonian region. Canada has also vowed to allocate $15 million.

“Thank you but maybe these resources would be more useful for restoring the forests of Europe. Macron has even failed to prevent a foreseeable fire in the cathedral, which is a world heritage site but wants to teach is how to deal with our country. He has many things to do in France and French colonies,” Lorenzoni said, as quoted by the G1 news portal.

He added that Brazil was able to show any other country how to preserve forests.

The wildfires in the Amazonian region have been raging for three weeks. Brazil and Bolivia are engaged in fighting the wildfires, while the neighboring countries have offered assistance to them. According to satellite data provided by the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research, this year, the wildfire area increased by 82 percent compared to 2018.(UNI)