New Brazilian minister wants troops in Amazon

The environment minister of Brazil, Carlos Mincer, said today that he will propose the participation of the Armed Forces to protect the Brazilian Amazon.

The current secretary of the Environment in Rio de Janeiro, said that caring for parks and indigenous reserves in the Amazon region will be his main challenge.

He believes that the army should participate in the care of the largest reserve of tropical forests on the planet.

He added that he will propose to President Lula the creation of detachments of the Armed Forces to operate within the large national parks, taking charge of their environment and also called for extractive reserves, on government owned land, controlled by native communities for the extraction of rubber, timber, minerals, etc.

The statement was understood as a message to the international community, which has showed concern over the future of the Amazon, following the departure of environment minister Silva.

Marina Silva, who ran the Ministry of Environment since, 2003, resigned over personal and irrevocable differences on May 13, claiming that her decision was due to difficulties faced to putting in motion the federal environmental agenda, in the face of growing resistance faced by her team from important sectors of government and society.