Brazil's President Lula Works to Stop Amazon Deforestation
2023-01-30
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1Brazil's New President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is putting environmental activists in top government positions.
2For example, Joenia Wapichana is becoming the first indigenous woman to lead the country's Indigenous Affairs office.
3She will start the job in February when Lula swears her in.
4Lula won the last election over former President Jair Bolsonaro.
5But Wapichana is already getting started.
6On a recent day, the Associated Press reported that she walked through all the agency's rooms shaking a traditional rattle, or noisemaker.
7She was asking for help from her ancestors in a cleansing ceremony.
8As she walked through the offices, indigenous people working there followed her, saying: "Yoohoo, Funai is ours."
9Funai is the name of the agency, the National Indigenous People Foundation.
10Critics said the agency's past leaders did not do enough to protect the Amazon rain forest.
11In 2022, a satellite image study showed that deforestation - the term for removing trees - increased during Bolsonaro's presidency.
12Some environmental groups say deforestation was taking place at a slower rate in Brazil before he took office.
13Lula is putting people like Wapichana into jobs where they can help grow protected areas for indigenous people and limit deforestation.
14George Porto Ferreira is a researcher for Ibama, Brazil's environmental law-enforcement agency.
15He said Lula added employees who can "reverse all the environmental destruction" during the Bolsonaro government.
16Some are concerned, however, that Lula will not be able to do everything he wants.
17Lula did not do such a good job during his past presidential terms.
18In addition, some Bolsonaro supporters still govern large Amazon states, and they will not easily change their policies
19 Bolsonaro's supporters think Lula's ideas will hurt the economy by restricting land development.
20One of Lula's biggest moves so far was appointing Marina Silva to lead Brazil's environmental ministry.
21Silva is a former rubber collector, or tapper, from Acre state.
22She led the ministry from 2003 to 2008 during Lula's former presidency.
23She resigned after a conflict with government and farm leaders who did not like her development restrictions.
24Lula has made other moves to support the Amazon's native people and the environment.
25The changes include restarting the Amazon Fund, ending a Bolsonaro action that permitted mining in indigenous and protected areas and creating an indigenous peoples' ministry.
26Sonia Guajajara will lead the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples.
27She is the first indigenous woman to hold such an important job in the government.
28She said: "It won't be easy to overcome 504 years in only four years.
29But we are willing to use this moment to promote a take-back of Brazil's spiritual force."
30One of Lula's goals is to end deforestation by 2030.
31However, the new government's goals will not be easy to reach.
32Bolsonaro supporters govern six of the nine Amazon states.
33One problem is illegal gold mining in the Amazon.
34It will be hard to end because it produces a lot of money and work.
35Mining employs thousands of people in Brazil, Peru and Venezuela.
36The mining has poisoned water with mercury.
37The unsafe water hurts people who drink it and catch fish in the rivers close to the mines.
38Gustavo Geiser is a crime investigator who has worked with the Brazilian Federal Police for 15 years.
39He said a main reason for the problems is "the state's absence."
40Supporters say the president can expand indigenous territories.
41Lula is being asked to create 13 new territories, a process that slowed under Bolsonaro, who said he would not give any more land to indigenous people.
42The first step may be to expand the area of Uneiuxi, an area that is home to 23 indigenous groups.
43A signature by Lula will increase the area by 37 percent, finishing a process that started nearly 40 years ago.
44I'm Dan Friedell.
1Brazil's New President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is putting environmental activists in top government positions. 2For example, Joenia Wapichana is becoming the first indigenous woman to lead the country's Indigenous Affairs office. She will start the job in February when Lula swears her in. 3Lula won the last election over former President Jair Bolsonaro. 4But Wapichana is already getting started. On a recent day, the Associated Press reported that she walked through all the agency's rooms shaking a traditional rattle, or noisemaker. 5She was asking for help from her ancestors in a cleansing ceremony. As she walked through the offices, indigenous people working there followed her, saying: "Yoohoo, Funai is ours." Funai is the name of the agency, the National Indigenous People Foundation. 6Critics said the agency's past leaders did not do enough to protect the Amazon rain forest. 7In 2022, a satellite image study showed that deforestation - the term for removing trees - increased during Bolsonaro's presidency. Some environmental groups say deforestation was taking place at a slower rate in Brazil before he took office. 8Lula is putting people like Wapichana into jobs where they can help grow protected areas for indigenous people and limit deforestation. 9George Porto Ferreira is a researcher for Ibama, Brazil's environmental law-enforcement agency. He said Lula added employees who can "reverse all the environmental destruction" during the Bolsonaro government. 10Some are concerned, however, that Lula will not be able to do everything he wants. Lula did not do such a good job during his past presidential terms. In addition, some Bolsonaro supporters still govern large Amazon states, and they will not easily change their policies. Bolsonaro's supporters think Lula's ideas will hurt the economy by restricting land development. 11One of Lula's biggest moves so far was appointing Marina Silva to lead Brazil's environmental ministry. Silva is a former rubber collector, or tapper, from Acre state. She led the ministry from 2003 to 2008 during Lula's former presidency. She resigned after a conflict with government and farm leaders who did not like her development restrictions. 12Lula has made other moves to support the Amazon's native people and the environment. The changes include restarting the Amazon Fund, ending a Bolsonaro action that permitted mining in indigenous and protected areas and creating an indigenous peoples' ministry. 13Sonia Guajajara will lead the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples. She is the first indigenous woman to hold such an important job in the government. 14She said: "It won't be easy to overcome 504 years in only four years. But we are willing to use this moment to promote a take-back of Brazil's spiritual force." 15One of Lula's goals is to end deforestation by 2030. However, the new government's goals will not be easy to reach. Bolsonaro supporters govern six of the nine Amazon states. 16One problem is illegal gold mining in the Amazon. It will be hard to end because it produces a lot of money and work. Mining employs thousands of people in Brazil, Peru and Venezuela. The mining has poisoned water with mercury. The unsafe water hurts people who drink it and catch fish in the rivers close to the mines. 17Gustavo Geiser is a crime investigator who has worked with the Brazilian Federal Police for 15 years. He said a main reason for the problems is "the state's absence." 18Supporters say the president can expand indigenous territories. Lula is being asked to create 13 new territories, a process that slowed under Bolsonaro, who said he would not give any more land to indigenous people. 19The first step may be to expand the area of Uneiuxi, an area that is home to 23 indigenous groups. A signature by Lula will increase the area by 37 percent, finishing a process that started nearly 40 years ago. 20I'm Dan Friedell. 21Dan Friedell adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on a report by the Associated Press. 22_________________________________________________________________ 23Words in This Story 24indigenous -adj. used to describe a native person 25reverse -v. to change to an opposite state or condition 26promote -v. to support action aiming to bring about a certain result 27absence -n. a state in which something is expected but missing 28signature -n. a person's written name on a document 29________________________________________________________________ 30We want to hear from you. Do you think the new Brazilian government will have success helping the environment and native people? 31We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: 32Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.