As a government minister ends his four day trip to Rio and Brasilia, Labour challenges the Tories to stand up to Bolsonaro, whose far right government is facilitating forest fires that threaten the world.

Junior trade minister Conor Burns posed for pictures and drank champagne with Brazilian minister Marcos Troyjo – who last week explicitly backed Bolsonaro’s policy of deforestation of the Amazon – and on Twitter described Troyjo as “superb”.

Responding, Barry Gardiner MP, Labour’s Shadow Trade Secretary, said:

“While Bolsonaro lets agribusinesses burn the Amazon, this week a UK government minister has been busy cosying up to the Brazilian President’s officials.

“Instead of posing for photographs with far right Brazilian politicians, Ministers should be calling on Brazil to do everything they can to protect the rainforest. The government must insist that Brazil honours environmental clauses in existing trade agreements and fulfils their commitments under the Paris Agreement.”

Ends

Notes to editors

Trade Policy Minister Conor Burns visited Rio and Brasilia this week, tweeting that Marcos Troyjo, Bolsonaro’s Special Secretary for International Trade and International Economic Affairs, was “superb”.

https://twitter.com/ConorBurnsUK/status/1164254584988143616?s=20

Marcos Troyjo last week defended Bolsonaro’s policy on the Amazon, saying: “The environmental policy of this government is the intelligent use of the country’s natural resources.” https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/16/reuters-america-analysis-deforestation-in-brazil-vote-in-argentina-endanger-eu-mercosur-pact.html