Brazil set the record for deforestation in the Amazon forest this year, with 9,762 km² of forest lost between August 2018 and July 2019, an increase of 29.5% over the previous period.
Revealed this Monday (18), the numbers come from projections of the Prodes monitoring system, which offers the most accurate data and with a confidence level of over 95%.
Minister Ricardo Salles (Environment) attributed the rise to the "illegal economy" in the Amazon region. He announced a meeting on Wednesday (20) to discuss measures against the problem.
Asked about the effect of Jair Bolsonaro's speeches on the expansion of deforestation, Salles stated that much of the problem comes from past management.
The president contested earlier reports by INPE (National Institute for Space Research) and said they were damaging the country. The friction led to the dismissal of the then director of the agency.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon