Bolsonaro attacks INPE

After INPE published new data showing that Amazon deforestation rose 68% in the first half of July 2019 when compared to the same period in 2018, President Bolsonaro started a series of personal attacks against INPE’s director, Ricardo Galvão. The president said that INPE’s numbers do not reflect the truth and damage Brazil’s international reputation. “Of course I will speak to the director of INPE. It’s repeated headlines that only help to make Brazil’s name be seen as an underdog abroad,” he declared to journalists. President Bolsonaro also suggested that Director Galvão “could be at service for some NGO”.

Two days later, national and international scientific associations poured in support to INPE’s work to monitor Amazon deforestation, saying the Institute’s methodology is robust and a renowned reference on satellite monitoring around the world.

INPE’s director Ricardo Galvão responded to the criticism from the president in interviews to the press. He reported that INPE started to suffer attacks back in January, but they were mostly coming from the Ministry of the Environment. “INPE only collects data, that’s all we do, but there was some dissatisfaction about that, coming from the Ministry of Environment.” He said he didn’t expect this debate to reach the President of the Republic, “but apparently it did and I am not sure who made this happen (…) I might face consequences, get fired. But for the Institute there shouldn’t be. Firstly because the budget for the year is secured, and we are working on next year’s budget. And the situation is so clear, we received so much support, including from abroad, that it became impossible, in my opinion, for the government to somehow retaliate (…)”.