G-7 pledges funds to fight Amazon fires

PORTO VELHO, Brazil (AP) — The Group of Seven nations on Monday pledged tens of millions of dollars to help Amazon countries fight raging wildfires, even as Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro accused rich countries of treating the region like a “colony.”

The pledge by rich countries included $20 million from the G-7 and a separate $11 million from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Canada has also offered to send firefighting planes to Brazil.

The funds were widely seen as a relatively small amount for dealing with an environmental crisis of such scale, and it was unclear how exactly the money would be administered on the ground. Brazil’s environment minister, Ricardo Salles, said the aid was welcome and that Brazil should decide how the resources are used.

The international pledges came despite tensions between European countries and the Brazilian president, who suggested the West was angling to exploit Brazil’s natural resources.

“Look, does anyone help anyone ... without something in return? What have they wanted there for so long?” he said to journalists outside the presidential palace.

Bolsonaro has insulted adversaries and allies, disparaged women, black and gay people, and even praised his country’s 1964-1985 dictatorship.

But nothing has rallied more anger at home and criticism from abroad than his response to the fires raging in parts of the Amazon region.

The populist Brazilian leader initially questioned whether activist groups might have started the fires in an effort to damage the credibility of his government.

Bolsonaro has called for looser environmental regulations in the world’s largest rainforest to spur development.

In response, European leaders threatened to block a major trade deal with Brazil that would benefit the very agricultural interests accused of driving deforestation.

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