NewzSAO PAULO (AP) — Brazilian authorities are investigating whether a recent surge in wildfires in the Amazon rainforest have been set on purpose for political motives ahead of the second round of presidential elections later this month. Fire counts across the biome, which have been near historic lows this year, have tripled since Oct. 4, when Brazilians voted in the first round of national elections.
Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, won 47% of the vote, while President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva received 45%. “The indications are that there has been a premeditated effort” to start the fires, Environment Minister João Paulo Capobianco told The Associated Press. Capobianco and environmental enforcement officials flew over burned areas on Sunday and again on Wednesday.
He said they observed fires in protected forest areas arranged in a distinct geometric pattern, suggesting they may have been deliberately set. It’s not clear who might have started the fires or what their motivations may be. The wildfires have particularly hit Amazonas and Para states over the past few days.
Smoke has disrupted daily life in Manaus, the capital of Amazonas and the largest city in the Brazilian Amazon. Public school classes were canceled and residents were urged to wear face masks. The burning fuels political clashes Conservative politicians in Amazonas state have been the most vocal about the fires, according to monitoring by Barometro, a tool developed by Brazilian climate strategy agency FALA, part of the global Climate Action Against Disinformation coalition.
The analysis examined 165 posts about fires and smoke in the state from 41 politicians, finding that nearly 55% came from the right. Over the weeks, personal publications gave way to political disputes, with local politicians claiming credit for firefighting efforts or accusing authorities of failing to act. “The same issue serves simultaneously as a public health warning, an environmental policy agenda and a campaign tool,” the report said.
The fires have also become a point of contention outside the Amazon, in an election campaign in which forest protection and climate change have received little attention. Deforestation in the Amazon soared under former President Bolsonaro, while Lula has brought it back down to the lowest in a decade. 25 runoff.“The indications are that there has been a premeditated effort” to start the fires, Environment Minister João Paulo Capobianco told The Associated Press.Capobianco and environmental enforcement officials flew over burned areas on Sunday and again on Wednesday.
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