Do you have heard about Day of Fire?
It's the day the deforestators go around burning forests with impunity.
I'm sorry to inform, but in Brazil, it exists.
This is the city of "Novo Progresso". (New Progress)
25000 inhabitants live here,
in this city that is located inside the Environmental Protection Zone of Jamanxin.
The city is a recent creation: the first inhabitants
started to move here
in the 80s.
The political emancipation, came just in 1993.
Its economy moves about 400 000 BRL a year (€89000) and it explores
extraction of timber, mining and cattle for the meat.
Novo Progresso has its own press
by the newspaper "Folha do Progresso".
From this small paper, from this small city, came the warning for something big.
"DAY OF FIRE: farmers plan day
for fire in the region". In the paper it reads: "The press Folha do Progresso
talked this weekend with one of the leaders.
They want the the 10th of August to call the attention of the authorities that in this region the progress in production
happens without government support.
"We need to show the president that we want work, the only way is tearing down the forest.
And the only way to clean and form the pastures is with fire", they claim.
When this warning was done in the beginning of August 2019
the government already had already been embarrassed by the data from INPE.
The institute responsible, among other things, for monitoring the Amazon deforestation.
In July 2019, it had cuted
278% more forests than the same month in the previous year.
The federal government, in its own way,
took measures about this scary figures.
The government FIRED the director of the institute which released the data.
According to the president, releasing the figures was insubordination and lack of patriotism.
"If the figures were alarming he should have
[...]
for responsibility
respect...
patriotism, seek is immediate supervisor, in this case the minister, tell him:
"I got these data here, we're gonna release it because we
[...]
should release. Sir, prepare yourself... there might have some crises."
That's how it has to be done.
And not in a shallow way as he does, simply,
putting Brazil in a complicated situation.
Besides firing who monitors the destruction of the forest,
the government green-lit the destruction acts.
The federal government simply
withdrew the inspectors from the region.
The inspectors (IBAMA) had a HQ in the region.
But it was shut down because the Ministry of Justice,
commanded by Sergio Moro, withdrew the National Force,
which gave support to the inspectors.
It's this type of posture by the federal government that encourages the
Day of Fire in Novo Progresso.
It's a day of the year to burn the forest and it's to burn "Just like that".
Nobody knows what they are burning nor which vegetable
or animal species may be forever gone this way.
None knows, not even how to use the soil
after it all becomes ashes: there's no planning on what to do
after they burn it all.
There is however, the will to destroy:
destruction that can be seen from space!
What you see are the images from the satelite array
NOAA, from NASA.
Here you can see the thick white clouds, and below, spreading on the continent,
the huge mass of gray smoke.
This image, captured in August 16th
help us have perspective of the size of the tragedy as it was captured by an international entity,
it cannot be censored.
Not that INPE, even being persecuted by the government,
haven't been trying to do its job.
This image is from the QUEIMADAS program, led by the institute.
Each red cross here means a forest fire.
Here's the data from the Day of Fire: August 10th.
The day the fires intensified.
In the 10th, there were
124 fire spots in the region of Novo Progresso.
It was the record of the year, but it would be surpassed in the next day.
Sunday 11th, there were 203 fire spots.
The towns in the region
started to feel the consequences.
The smoke covers a wide area
and forced flights to be cancelled.
The tendency of the Day of Fire had copycats in other cities of the region.
What started in Novo Progresso has spread.
It arrived in Corumbá, in Mato Grosso do Sul, which registered
180 fire spots in the 17th.
The worse case was in Altamira in Pará.
Since the beginning of the year there were 1578 fire spots.
What started in the 10th, hasn't yet stopped
because this is the problem with fire: starting it is very easy,
controlling it is another story.
Of course under normal circumstances
nobody would ever start a fire intentionally.
But this is Brazil from 2019, a country that is anything, but normal...
IT IS NOT NORMAL.
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Today is Ricardo and Sara's turn: they both appear there on the mat
as practitioners of jujitsu, gentle art.
Sara, the following message is Ricardo's and it's for you, he says:
"Sara you have been my light, my way and the reason for my happiness.
My friend and wife, who offered your allegiance, love,
complicity and your arm to lift me every time I have no strength
and applaud every time I can win.
I am because we are, I exist because you exist.
I finish this simple tribute by saying that the couple that fights together, wins together. "
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