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Brazil’s president refuses to consider Amazon rainforest as world heritage

The Amazon forest is the victim of terrible wildfires, which continue to be fought - so far, wildfires destroyed over 1.8 mln hectares of the forests in Brazil in the time between January and August

UN, September 24. /TASS/. The issue of preserving the Amazon rainforest where terrible wildfires continue to be fought should be resolved considering the Brazilian sovereignty over a significant part of this territory, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said at the opening of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Tuesday.

"It is a fallacy to think that Amazonia is a world heritage. It has also been proven wrong by scientists that the Amazon forests are the lungs of the planet. Guided by these misconceptions, certain countries act with no respect, like colonialists, instead of trying to help. They undermine the most sacred thing we have - our sovereignty," the president said.

"I reiterate, any initiative regarding support of the Amazon forests should take Brazil’s sovereignty into account," Bolsonaro added.

The Brazilian National Institute for Space Research estimates that wildfires destroyed more than 1.8 million hectares of the Amazon forests in Brazil in the time between January and August. Amid the uncontrolled spread of the fire, Brazilian society started criticizing Bolsonaro and his government over their disregard for environmental protection, as their opponents say. In turn, the authorities claim that some fires can be explained by natural seasonal reasons, while others are a result of deliberate arsons.

In late August, Bolsonaro engaged in a heated debate with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron. The remarks were made after Macron proposed discussing the Amazon wildfires at the G7 summit in Biarritz. Brasilia strongly criticized this decision, accusing the French leader of infringement of Brazil’s sovereignty.

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