Wildfires have been raging in the Amazon for three weeks. On Thursday, Macron called the situation an international crisis, saying it should be addressed during the three-day G7 summit, which will begin in France’s Biarritz on Saturday.
"I regret that President Macron seeks to use internal affairs of Brazil and neighbouring countries for his own political purposes … The French president’s proposal to discuss this issue at the summit which does not involve Brazil or other regional countries resembles colonialist mentality which is inappropriate in the 21st century," Bolsonaro wrote on Twitter late on Thursday.
- O Governo brasileiro segue aberto ao diálogo, com base em dados objetivos e no respeito mútuo. A sugestão do presidente francês, de que assuntos amazônicos sejam discutidos no G7 sem a participação dos países da região, evoca mentalidade colonialista descabida no século XXI.
— Jair M. Bolsonaro (@jairbolsonaro) August 22, 2019
The Brazilian president also noted that Macron had referred to some fake photos when describing the situation in the Amazon rain forest.
The wildfires in the Amazon rain forest have drawn international attention. According to the satellite data provided by the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE), this year, the wildfire area increased by 82 percent compared to 2018. Experts from across the world are warning about grave consequences of the fires.
