Covert maneuver

After the veto of two Provisional Executive Orders, organizations condemn new proposal that still threatens environmental conservation areas

Parauapebas_PA, 03 de Agosto de 2011. Imagens da Floresta Nacional de Carajas. FOTO: JOAO MARCOS ROSA / NITRO

President Michel Temer vetoed on Monday, June 19, Provisional Executive Orders Nos. 756 and 758 that would have reduced the protection of nearly 600,000 hectares of conservation areas in the states of Pará and Santa Catarina. According to the Environment Minister José Sarney Filho, however, the government is poised to send a new bill to Congress with fast-track status that is practically identical to Order No. 756, proposing to loosen environmental control over an area of 480,000 hectares in the Jamanxim National Forest, in Pará.

The presidential veto appeared to come in response to strong pressure from civil society, which has been mobilizing to block legislation that poses a risk to the environment. According to organizations that were calling for the rejection of the Provisional Executive Orders, however, Temer’s decision to submit a new bill transfers the responsibility for determining the future of a significant portion of the Amazon to Congress, which is currently dominated by members of the “ruralist” (agribusiness) caucus.

In a public statement released on Tuesday, June 20, 29 organizations condemned the announcement by the Presidency and pointed out that Orders 756 and 758 were completely transformed during their passage through Congress. The organizations believe that this new bill will also receive amendments to relax control over other conservation areas and they said that “the maneuver by the government brings back the initial threat, with the objective of restoring the text that was vetoed, and the possibility of causing even more damage”.

The statement signed by Conectas and another 28 organizations, such as Greenpeace, WWF and Inesc (Institute for Socio-Economic Studies), can be read in full here.