Dear Editor,
I read your editorial in yesterday’s Stabroek News `A burning in the lungs’ and I would like to transmit some information about what Brazil is doing to control the fires. According to satellite images from the Amazon Protection System (Sipam) of the Ministry of Defense, from Saturday (August 24) to Monday (August 26) there has been a reduction in the number of areas affected by fires in the legal Amazon. The Sipam satellite identifies the most critical areas affected by fire spots. The system helps to guide teams on the ground.
Operation Green Brazil was in its sixth day yesterday and has involved so far around 2,500 military personnel, 15 aircraft (airplanes and helicopters), 210 vehicles and 10 boats. It started after the decree determining the deployment of the Armed Forces in the operations of Environmental Law and Order Operations (known as GLOA), last Friday August 23rd. This measure is in place until September 24th.
Military operations from the three forces (Navy, Army and Air Force) are being coordinated by the Amazon
Military Command and by the Nor-thern Military Command.
The first is located in Manaus and is responsible for the states of Ama-zonas, Acre, Rondônia, Roraima, Amapá and parts of Maranhão. The Northern Military Command is located in Belém and is responsible for the states of Pará, Amapá, Maranhão and parts of Tocantins. While the efforts to combat the fires continue, new fire brigades are being trained and a number of preventive, investigative and awareness-raising actions are being undertaken.
The Armed Forces work in support of state governments and in subsidiary activities in border areas, in indigenous lands and areas belonging to the Federal Government. It is an integrated effort between different institutions and public security authorities, such as the National Force, Military Fire Brigades, fire prevention and firefighting squads from the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA), Military Environmental Police forces and the Operational and Managing Center of the Amazon Protection System (CENSIPAM).
In the afternoon of Monday August 26th, the President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro surveyed the activities undertaken by the Joint Operations Centre at the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense. In the end of the meeting, the Minister of Defense emphasized the rapid response of Operation Green Brazil. “I am proud of the work of the Armed Forces in coordination with other agencies. It is obviously not an easy situation, but it is under control and we see improvement in the regions affected by the fire.”
Both the Government and the Brazilian people are aware of the importance of preserving the Amazon rainforest. Every effort will be made to ensure that fires – normal at this time of year because of the dry season – are controlled and I assure you that any illegality will be punished according to the law.
Yours faithfully,
Lineu De Paula,
Ambassador of Brasil
