The presidents of the Amazon countries affirmed this Tuesday the 7th that the energy transition and the fight against deforestation can improve the quality of life of the populations.
The analysis of the heads of state took place on the first day of the Amazon Summit. The leaders are expected to sign today a letter of commitment for joint measures to combat deforestation, to be called the Declaration of Belém.
“It is time to consolidate once and for all our Amazonian identity,” said Lula da Silva, whose speech opened the meeting.
“In an international system that we did not build,” he continued, “a subordinate place has historically been reserved as a supplier of raw materials. The just ecological transition allows us to change this scenario.”
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Lula’s position was supported by the presidents of Colombia, Bolivia and Peru, who spoke after the Brazilian president. His speeches suggest that the Belém Declaration will not be limited to the socio-environmental issue, but will have a political content.
According to Petro, the climate disaster will deepen the dependence of rich countries
The Colombian Gustavo Petro argued that not betting on the transition to a low carbon economy means deepening the economic dependence of rich countries.
“Without the Amazon jungle, there will be no water. Without the Amazon jungle, we will have to go to the United States and stay there on the border in front of machine guns. What will become of our peoples without water? They will have to migrate,” he projected.
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For Bolivia, Luis Arce recognized the climate emergency and reaffirmed his commitment to the conservation of the Amazon. However, he said that it is necessary to prevent the actions of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) when they go against the interests of the country.
He defended demanding from rich countries “non-reimbursable financing and innovative technologies with the release of patents and the development of capacities that guarantee the development of the Amazon and its peoples.”
“This climate crisis was not generated with us,” summed up the Bolivian president.
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The president of Peru, Dina Boluarte, said that capitalism will have to be reformed to avoid a climate catastrophe. “It’s about the reform of the financial system,” she analyzed.
“This meeting should be the starting point for the creation of universal health and social protection systems with emphasis on the most vulnerable groups to guarantee food security and provide them with basic sanitation to empower our women,” added Boluarte.
Editing: Nadini Lopes and Geisa Marques
