To save the Amazon, Lula must work out who owns it
The fight against deforestation is going better. But it needs cash, cops—and a better property register
Along the Madeira river, in the heart of the rainforest, the Brazilian government has been seizing barges and blowing them up. The barges belong to garimpeiros (wildcat miners) who are searching illegally for gold. They dredge up sediment from the river bed and add mercury, which forms a coating around flecks of the precious metal. Then they burn it off, leaving pure gold and emitting toxic vapour.
This article appeared in the The Americas section of the print edition under the headline “To save the Amazon, Lula must work out who owns it”
The Americas December 2nd 2023
From the December 2nd 2023 edition
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Transcripción de su encuentro con nuestro corresponsal
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