Brazil Hosts Amazon Rainforest Summit

Facts

• South American leaders from the eight Amazon rainforest countries gathered in Belem, Brazil on Tuesday for the first time in 14 years to discuss issues facing the region and to reach a broad agreement on topics such as deforestation and the financing of sustainable development.¹
• Five national leaders from the eight-member Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) attended the summit, including host Pres. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Bolivia’s Luis Arce, Colombia’s Gustavo Petro, Guyana’s Mark Phillips, and Peru's Dina Boluarte.²
• Venezuela’s Vice President and the foreign ministers from Suriname and Ecuador represented their countries. Da Silva spoke of the urgent need to protect the Amazon as well as address the rampant crime plaguing the region.³
• The ATCO countries were expected to announce an agreement — dubbed the Belem Declaration — by Tuesday afternoon, aimed at stopping deforestation by 2030, ending illegal gold mining, and promoting cooperation on the enforcement of cross-border laws governing environmental crime.⁴
• ACTO has existed for 45 years but has only convened three times. Da Silva also tried to convene the bloc during his first term in 2009 but was only joined by Guyana’s president. So far, only Brazil and Colombia have committed to completely stop deforestation by 2030.⁵
• Two-thirds of the massive rainforest – about twice the size of India – lies in Brazil, which cut down a sizable portion of the Amazon while pursuing economic development under former Pres. Jair Bolsonaro. Activists claim deforestation must stop before it reaches a tipping point.⁶

Sources: ¹Reuters, ²Guardian, ³ABC News, ⁴US News & World Report, ⁵Associated Press, and ⁶Al Jazeera.

Narratives

• Left narrative, as provided by Yahoo News. Lula da Silva is taking the initiative needed to save the Amazon and protect a precious ecosystem that is indispensable to the entire world. While his predecessor destroyed the Amazon with little regard for the environment in the pursuit of economic gain, Lula understands the urgency of the climate crisis. Lula’s leadership skills are shining as he looks to get other countries on board with a plan to stop deforestation by 2030 and end the exploitation of Amazon resources.
• Left narrative, as provided by Jovem Pan. Lula da Silva is taking the initiative needed to save the Amazon and protect a precious ecosystem that is indispensable to the entire world. While his predecessor destroyed the Amazon with little regard for the environment in the pursuit of economic gain, Lula understands the urgency of the climate crisis. Lula’s leadership skills are shining as he looks to get other countries on board with a plan to stop deforestation by 2030 and end the exploitation of Amazon resources.

Predictions