Brazilian Business Leaders Push Congress to Defend the Amazon

Executives met with Rodrigo Maia, and congressional leader commits to creating group to discuss environmental projects

Brasília and São Paulo

After pressuring the Bolsonaro's government to adopt environmental protection policies, this Tuesday (28th), a group of business leaders moved on to force Brazil's Congress to combat deforestation in the Amazon.

Congressional leader Rodrigo Maia (DEM-RJ) met in the morning with executives from various areas of the economy. He pledged to create a group of deputies to debate the topic.

Rodrigo Maia. (Foto: Najara Araujo/Câmara dos Deputados) - Najara Araujo/Câmara dos Deput

This month, the group of business leaders sent a letter to the vice president, Hamilton Mourão, asking for an "inflexible and comprehensive" fight against illegal deforestation in the Amazon and other Brazilian biomes. Mourão currently chairs the National Council for the Legal Amazon.

Now, they asked Maia for help to stop the forest's devastation. The meeting was attended by representatives from the Brazilian Association of Vegetable Oil Industries, Itaú, Santander, among other companies and entities.

After the meeting with Hamilton Mourão and Rodrigo Maia, the group is preparing for a meeting with governors of the states that are part of the Legal Amazon Consortium, which brings together representatives from Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Maranhão, Pará, Roraima, and Rondônia.

Translated by Kiratiana Freelon

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