Document shows that the Army refused to support operations against illegal gold diggers in the Amazon

Military personnel involved in the Law and Order Guarantee (GLO) mission, decreed by President Jair Bolsonaro to combat deforestation in the Amazon, refused to support operations of the Brazilian environmental agency Ibama on at least three different occasions, according to a document obtained by the newspaper O Globo.

The allegation was that operations against illegal mining could lead to the destruction of the mining equipment used by the criminals, a common Ibama practice that President Bolsonaro rejects. The destruction, allowed since 2008, aims to render the machinery unusable. The storage of apprehended goods may pose risks for inspectors.