Lula defends oil exploration near the Amazon River June 14, 2024

Environmentalists highlight the contradiction in Lula's defense of fossil fuel exploitation while he positions himself as a leading figure in the fight against global warming (Photo: MAURO PIMENTEL)

By AFP - AgenceFrance Presse

Lula defends oil exploration near the Amazon River

Brazil's president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said on Wednesday that a controversial offshore oil exploration plan near the mouth of the Amazon River is a key opportunity for the country's growth.

"We want everything to be legal, respecting the environment. But we're not going to let any opportunity to promote the growth of this country pass us by,” said Lula in Rio de Janeiro to investors from Saudi Arabia - one of the world's largest oil producers.

The plans to explore for oil in a maritime basin near the mouth of the Amazon River have angered environmentalists and divided Lula's government.

His environment minister, Marina Silva, openly opposes the plan, and the IBAMA environmental protection agency denied oil giant Petrobras an exploration license in May last year.

However, the newly appointed head of Petrobras, Magda Chambriard, declared last month that she wanted to “accelerate” oil exploration, including in the controversial area near the mouth of the Amazon River, known as the Equatorial Margin.

Environmentalists point out the contradiction in Lula's defense of fossil fuel exploration, at the same time as he positions himself as a leading figure in the fight against global warming.

Under his leadership, deforestation in the Amazon rainforest halved last year compared to 2022.

Brazil will host the UN COP30 climate conference next year in Belém, a city in northern Brazil seen as the gateway to the Amazon.

"COP30 will be decisive for the planet.

Without everyone's effort, global warming could reach catastrophic levels,” Lula said on Wednesday, recalling the devastation caused by historic floods in southern Brazil last month.

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