Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has deployed the military to help fight back the destruction of the world’s largest rainforest.
Some environmental activists expressed dismay with the measure, asserting that environmental agencies, not the military, should be taking the lead on the matter given their expertise in the field, according to Reuters.
Bolsonaro was criticized last year for fires that devastated the Amazon. He also drew protests in cities across the world by making unfounded claims that the blazes were being set by environmental groups and nongovernmental organizations. Local Brazilian media reported at the time that farmers, feeling emboldened since Bolsonaro took office, started many of the fires as a way to clear land for development.
Deforestation in the Amazon rose 51% this year through March compared to the year before. The order to put the military in charge gives the military the authority to “coordinate” the actions of environmental agencies.
“The military can help in certain situations, but in relation to environmental agencies, they should be consulted and not subordinated,” said Suely Araujo, who led the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources until early last year.
“It’s the environmental agencies that have expertise in this area, who know how to carry out operational planning and strategy,” she added.
The military order is effective from May 11 to June 10, but can be extended.
