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Brazil Conditionally Accepts Aid from G-7 Countries to Fight Amazon Wildfires

VOA News

   Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro says his country will accept aid
   from G-7 countries to battle wildfires in the Amazon rainforest only if
   French President Emmanuel Macron retracts what Bolsonaro considers
   offensive remarks.

   Bolsonaro told reporters Tuesday Macron accused him of being a liar,
   adding that Macron has to retract his comments "and from there we can
   talk."

   Macron has questioned Bolsonaro's honesty and commitment to protecting
   the environment. Macron threatened last week to block a free trade deal
   between Latin America and the European Union unless Bolsonaro, a
   climate change skeptic, took serious steps to fight the Amazon fires.
   Bolsonaro's conditional acceptance of the aid comes one day after he
   rejected the money, declaring the funds could be better used in Europe.

   Bolsonaro's chief of staff, Onyx Lorenzoni, told the G1 news website on
   Monday Brazil appreciated the offer but that, "Maybe those resources
   are more relevant to reforest Europe."

   The rejection came after Brazilian Environment Minister Ricardo Salles
   said Brazil welcomed the funding.

   World leaders at the recently concluded G-7 summit in France of the
   world's biggest economies committed an immediate $20 million on Monday
   to fight the raging wildfires in the Amazon countries in South America.
   The blazes are threatening the world's biggest rainforest.

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