Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Wednesday that he would gather South American countries that share the Amazon rainforest to discuss its protection and development.

Bolsonaro pushed back at international allegations that he was responsible for weakening environmental safeguards in Brazil that have led to farmers, developers and others setting fires to clear land more aggressively this year in the Amazon.

The meeting with regional neighbors, which excludes Venezuela, will be held on September 6 in Leticia, Colombia, and its goal is to "to come up with our own unified strategy for preserving the environment," Bolsonaro told reporters.

The Brazilian president made the announcement after a joint meeting with Chilean President Sebastian Pinera in Brasilia.

Pinera, who has a close relationship with Bolsonaro, joined him in a statement to declare that environmental challenges must be met while respecting "national sovereignty."

The Amazon burns, Bolsonaro feels the heat Brazil's burning Four times the number of forest fires have burned so far this year in the Amazon compared to the whole of 2018, Brazil's National Institute for Space Research says. Ranchers and loggers are responsible for setting most of them as part of efforts to clear land for cattle. Environmental groups say land deforestation has increased dramatically since President Jair Bolsonaro took office in January.

The Amazon burns, Bolsonaro feels the heat Stark satellite view Satellite images show the true scale of the deforestation over large swathes of difficult-to-reach tropical rainforest. Bolsonaro is facing intense international pressure to tackle the fires. The Brazilian president has blamed indigenous tribes, small-scale farmers and even global NGOs — without evidence. On Friday, he said he was considering deploying the army to help put out the fires.

The Amazon burns, Bolsonaro feels the heat Dry season fans flames Brazil's dry season is helping the blazes spread more quickly. In the country's Amazonas state, heat from forest fires has been above average every day throughout August. To step up the pressure on Brazil, Norway and Germany have halted donations to Brazil’s Amazon support fund. France has even mooted the idea of blocking an EU trade deal with South American nations.

The Amazon burns, Bolsonaro feels the heat Chemical deforestation Brazil isn't the only country involved in deforestation. Peru, with the second-largest expanse of Amazonian forest, is also seeing a growing problem. Illegal gold miners have been accused of causing irreversible environmental damage to more than 110 square kilometers (42 square miles) of forest and river basins through the liberal use of fertilizers.

The Amazon burns, Bolsonaro feels the heat Other neighbors affected Brazil's other neighbors Bolivia and Paraguay have also struggled to contain forest fires. About 7,500 square kilometers (2,900 square miles) of land has been affected in Bolivia. The country has even deployed a Boeing 747-400 SuperTanker carrying 76,000 liters (20,000 gallons) of retardant, a substance used to stop fires.

The Amazon burns, Bolsonaro feels the heat Lungs are burning As well as political pressure, the sheer scale of the wildfires has sparked public protests against Brazilian interests around the world, including the country's embassy in Nicosia, Cyprus. The Amazon is billed as the "the lungs of the planet," as the rainforest produces about a fifth of the total oxgyen needed for life on earth. Author: Nik Martin



Read more: Amazon wildfires set to cause irreversible damage

Each country should have control over the "rational and sustainable use of their natural resources, in line with their environmental obligations and needs of their citizens, including indigenous peoples," the joint statement read.

The declaration, along with the call for countries in the region to band together, follows Bolsonaro's accusation against Germany and France, whom he said had tried to "buy" Brazil's sovereignty through their pledge of $20 million (€18 million) in aid at the G7.

Feud with Macron

Bolsonaro had rejected the aid previously, but then said he would consider taking it if French President Emmanuelle Macron would withdraw comments he had made about him.

But on Wednesday, the Brazilian president escalated his deeply personal dispute with Macron, accusing him of portraying himself as "the one and only person" concerned about the environment.

The back and forth between Brazil and France’s presidents has escalated to the point of endangering the EU-Mercosur trade deal that has taken decades to negotiate and was finalized this year.

Read more: Opinion: Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil's colonial ruler

Brazilian Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo said his country supported Bolsonaro in his dispute with Macron, adding that Brazil was fighting forest fires like never before and that he hoped "people who legitimately care about the environment see that Brazil is the hero and not the villain."

Vice President Hamilton Mourao, who is widely considered to be a moderate voice in Bolsonaro's government, came out against the international criticism over the Amazon fires.

In an opinion piece published in a conservative newspaper, Mourao criticized what he saw as an "international campaign" against Brazil and said the country "does not lie and nor does its president, its government and its institutions."

According to the latest official figures, some 1,044 new fires were started Monday and Tuesday, bringing the total this year to 83,329. More than half of the fires have taken place in the Amazon basin.

jcg/sms (Reuters, AP, dpa)

Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.