Brazil’s right-wing leader on Thursday complained to US President Joe Biden about international pressure on the Amazon amid calls for more action on climate change.
“We have a wealth in the heart of Brazil — our Amazon, which is larger than Western Europe, with invaluable wealth, biodiversity, mineral resources, drinking water and sources of oxygen,” Bolsonaro said when he met Biden on the sidelines of an Americas summit in Los Angeles.
“Sometimes we feel that our sovereignty is threatened in this area, but Brazil preserves its territory well,” he said.
“We have our difficulties on the environmental issue, but we are doing our best to defend our interests.”
Bolsonaro, an agribusiness advocate, has angered environmentalists with his stance on the Amazon, a key “sink” for the planet’s carbon emissions.
Biden maintained a positive tone in his public statements, saying Brazil made “real sacrifices” to protect the Amazon.
“I think the rest of the world should be able to help you preserve as much as possible,” Biden said.
It was the first meeting between Biden and Bolsonaro, an ally of former US President Donald Trump, who has questioned the legitimacy of both the US and Brazilian elections.
In a subsequent conversation with reporters, Bolsonaro said he was pleasantly surprised by Biden.
“I think we’ll have more meetings soon,” he said.
During the meeting, Bolsonaro told Biden that Brazil wants “clean, verifiable elections” in October.
Biden did not speak to reporters in attendance about the election, but his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, previously said the US leader would not shy away from pressing the need for free elections.
Bolsonaro is trailing former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a left-wing icon jailed on controversial corruption charges, in polls.
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