France threatens economic retaliation over Amazon fires

Emmanuel Macron

Biarritz: In a sharp escalation of tensions over fires ravaging the Amazon, France on Friday accused Brazil's president of having lied to French leader Emmanuel Macron and threatened to block a European Union trade deal with South American states including Brazil.

Ireland joined in the threat of possible economic repercussions for Brazil and its South American neighbours, starkly illustrating how the Amazon is becoming a battleground between Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and increasingly critical governments alarmed that vast swathes of the rainforest are going up in smoke.

Having won support from other governments, Macron upped the stakes with a bluntly-worded statement that took direct aim at Bolsonaro's trustworthiness.

"In light of Brazil's attitude these recent weeks," the statement said, Macron "can only conclude that President Bolsonaro lied to him during the Osaka Summit" in June where governments agreed on the "urgent need" to tackle climate change. As a consequence, France now opposes an EU trade deal "in its current state" with the Mercosur bloc of South American nations.

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