Lula Opens Amazon Summit in Belém

Brazilian President Ignacio Lula da Silva opened the Amazon Summit that brings together the countries where grows the largest forest in the world: Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana, Colombia, Peru, Suriname, and Ecuador.

“Glad to welcome the countries of the Amazon to Brazil. Our countries have not met for 14 years to discuss cooperation. This is a meeting in the midst of the climate crisis. We will combine environmental protection with sustainable economic development.”

In Belém, Brazil, in the state of Paraná, the presidents are meeting during these hours to lay a common path with two primary goals: protecting the Amazon rainforest and preventing environmental crime. The goal of the summit will be to come up with a common declaration defining strategies for the conservation of the big green lungs. But there are those who are going further, such as Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who talks about the creation of an “Amazon NATO” and a heritage that must be defended “with arms if necessary.”

Lula reaffirmed his openness to working with the “wealthiest countries” to protect the “green lungs,” reiterating that big money is needed to stop climate change. “We were promised $100 billion, but we are still waiting for this money. We have no right to be the only animal on Earth destroying its home; it is important to save the Amazon to sustain the human race,” explained Lula.

Also, Belen will host COP30 (United Nations Climate Change Conference) in two years. “When 2025 comes, we will have a big, big climate debate in the heart of the Amazon,” Lula concluded.