12th August 2023
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro (left) and Brazilian President Lula da Silva held talks in May
Brazilian President, Lula da Silva, this week took a huge step towards positioning his nation at the forefront of the climate emergency by setting out an ambitious programme to fight environmental crime in the Amazon. Lula pledged to restore Brazil’s environmental and international reputation after four years under his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, had seen the rainforest and Indigenous communities come under increasing attack.
In an address to South American leaders of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organisation (Acto,) in the Brazilian city of Belém, Lula committed to a “new Amazon dream”, stating,
“The Amazon can be whatever we want it to be: an Amazon with greener cities, with cleaner air, with mercury-free rivers and forests that are left standing; an Amazon with food on the table, dignified jobs and public services that are available to all; an Amazon with healthier children, well-received migrants [and] Indigenous people who are respected … This is our Amazon dream.”
The vision was part of a pledge to achieve zero deforestation by 2030.
The Acto meeting was the first in 14 years and highlighted the fight against illegal mining and organised crime, which is gripping the rainforest region by operating across national borders to evade detection.
While the 113 point Belém Declaration, which emerged from the meeting, has been criticised by some environmental groups for not being strong enough, the fact that eight South American presidents spent two days discussing issues relating to the environment was a huge step forward from the recent past.
The Amazon is home to an estimated 400bn trees belonging to 16,000 different species, more than 1,300 species of birds, tens of thousands of species of plant,and 20% of the world’s freshwater resources. It is also estimated to contain more than 120bn tonnes of carbon, making it a vital carbon sink. In short, its significance for the planet and the climate change agenda cannot be overstated.
President Lula acknowledged the necessity of international support and stressed the need for regional unity ahead of the Cop28 summit in Dubai in November, “so that rich countries which have already destroyed their forests take responsibility for funding our development”.
The Amazon summit is the latest step in helping turn the tide towards progressive politics in South America, since Lula took office in January. In May, Lula held talks with his Venezuelan counterpart, when Nicolas Maduro made his first visit to Brazil in eight years, as a first step towards increasing ties between the two nations. Lula’s right-wing predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, had banned Maduro from entering Brazil in 2019. Under Bolsonaro, Brazil recognised CIA puppet Juan Guaido as the legitimate president of Venezuela.
At the end of May a meeting of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) took place in Brazil’s capital, Brasilia, where leaders from 12 South American nations agreed to revive regional integration mechanisms. The body was originally created in 2008 and successfully implemented cooperation initiatives in areas such as healthcare, infrastructure, defence and trade, reducing historical inequalities.
As President Lula stressed,
“Unfortunately, these advances have been interrupted in recent years. If today we take the first steps to resume dialogue as a region, the context we face is even more challenging.”
Lula cited the current climate crisis and the human suffering and economic hardships left by the Covid-19 pandemic as key challenges but added that a new roadmap for regional integration will be created by the countries’ foreign affairs ministers and presented in 120 days for approval.
The summit concluded with the Brasilia Consensus a document gathering nine agreements to advance the region’s efforts for unity. This includes maintaining regular dialogue among countries and promoting cooperation initiatives that prioritise health, food security, the environment, trade, migration, border security and integration.
As the people of Cuba know too well, having suffered for over 60 years under an illegal blockade by the United States, any progress in Latin America is always under the shadow of US imperialism to the North.
However much they may wish to disguise it, US foreign policy is still governed by the nefarious nineteenth century Monroe doctrine, which effectively means the United States regards anything south of the Mexican border as its ‘backyard’ and a legitimate area for political interference. The people of Chile, Nicaragua, Venezuela and many others have been victims of the dead hand of US imperialism as a result.
Unity between nations in South America is a vital first step. The strength of that unity however must be underpinned by unity of the peoples of the whole of Latin America, to ensure that the progressive goals which are achieved are not subsequently reversed.
Ultimately the road to progress will be through socialist development across the continent and collective solidarity in the face of pressure from the US. International solidarity with the initial steps outlined by the nations of South America will be vital too, as US regional hegemony is challenged, and the peoples of the region, once again, strive to find their voice.
Avanti Populo 