Brazilian Government Dismisses Coordinator of Institute Responsible for Monitoring Amazon Deforestation

Inpe data have shown an increase in environmental devastation

Brasília

The government dismissed the general coordinator of Observation of Terra do Inpe (National Institute for Space Research), the organization responsible for monitoring deforestation in the Amazon.

The Official Gazette of the Union published Lúbia Vinhas' dismissal from the position this Monday (13th), in an ordinance signed by the Minister of Science and Technology, Marcos Pontes.

In the late afternoon of Monday, Inpe released a note in which it claims to go through a "restructuring" process to "seek synergies and optimize the institute's human and infrastructure resources for a more efficient operation." The agency also states that monitoring of the Amazon will continue to take place in a technical manner.

Information released by Inpe showed that Amazon deforestation increased in June compared to the previous year - Marcos Amend/Greenpeace

On Friday (10), information released by Inpe showed that Amazon deforestation increased in June compared to the previous year, the 14th in a row, and is the highest since 2016.

Lúbia's dismissal, although published on Monday, is dated July 6, before the release of the data.

Lúbia told Folha that he was returning to his activities as an INPE researcher and stressed that monitoring the Amazon is not the responsibility of a single person.

"I believe that my departure from coordination is directly related to the restructuring process of Inpe that has been proposed by the current management, and not in direct response to figures related to monitoring," he said.

President Jair Bolsonaro attacked Inpe during his first year in government. He criticized the data from the institute that pointed to increased deforestation.

Translated by Kiratiana Freelon

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