Controversy rages over fires in the Amazon
President Jair Bolsonaro’s reputation abroad has been severely damaged
by his response to an international outcry over the destruction of the
Brazilian Amazon. Bolsonaro’s initial denial of the severity of fires
currently burning in forests across Brazil, including in the Amazon, has
notably led to a very public spat with France’s President Emmanuel
Macron. As well as affecting Brazil’s image, the fallout could have consequences
for the country’s foreign trade and has also sparked a wider debate
over the stewardship and conservation of the Amazon rainforest, as international
concern over the state of the environment grows.