Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has emphasized the urgent need for his government to accelerate efforts in the Amazon to combat organized crime, which is a significant factor in the destruction of the world’s largest tropical rainforest. He noted that it took a year to launch a security plan for the Amazon and stressed the importance of establishing an international police center in Manaus to address the issue.
During an event where an agreement on financing the security plan with $58.6 million was signed, President Lula stressed the importance of speeding up the process within his limited four-year term in office. The funds for the security plan come from the $1.3 billion Amazon Fund established by Norway to support sustainability and combat illegal logging in the region, with contributions from other countries such as Germany, Britain, Denmark, the European Union, and the USA.
The Amazon Security Plan, sponsored by the Amazon Fund, aims to address crime that contributes to environmental damage in the region. Eight Amazon basin countries will participate in a Center for International Police Cooperation that will coordinate law enforcement efforts using helicopters, river patrol boats, and 34 bases across the Amazon. Illegal logging, gold mining, drug smuggling, and trafficking of tropical animals are key issues contributing to deforestation in Brazil’s largest rainforest region.
Since President Lula took office, Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation in the Amazon and has reestablished its leadership in global efforts against climate change. Deforestation in Brazil’s portion of
