Brazilian President urged to do more for Amazon

Greenpeace volunteers today took to The Mall in Brazilian football shirts to hold a silent vigil for the Amazon, as President Lula passed in a carriage procession with The Queen.

Lula, who is in Britain for a state visit, has presided over massive levels of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. Greenpeace members held a huge banner at Duke of York steps reading: "GOD SAVE THE AMAZON" while more volunteers held placards in front of Lula with the same message, some in Portuguese. They wore Brazilian soccer shirts in recognition of the fact that an area of rainforest the size of a football pitch is lost every ten seconds in the Amazon.

Since he came to power in January 2003 an area of Amazon rainforest the size of the Republic of Ireland - nearly 70,000km² - has been cleared. Between August 2003 and July 2004 alone 27,200km² of Brazil's rainforest was destroyed, the second highest level ever recorded.

One of the Greenpeace protesters, Belinda Fletcher, said: "I came down to The Mall to let the Brazilian President know people across the globe are watching what he does in the Amazon. When the rainforest is set ablaze by giant agricultural interests or cleared by illegal loggers it's lost forever. President Lula has made the right noises and recently acted to protect large areas of the Amazon, but the simple fact is that under his leadership we have seen near record levels of rainforest destruction. He needs to stand up to the powerful agricultural and timber lobbies that threaten the people and environment in the Amazon."

Although Lula has made some positive steps in recent years, including the protection of nearly 180,000km² of rainforest and enforcement activities against illegal loggers and corrupt state officials, the Greenpeace protesters say he must do more to protect the Amazon.

The Brazilian Amazon faces a huge threat from illegal loggers, cattle ranchers and soya plantation owners. It has one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world. But it also presents one of the greatest opportunities for biodiversity conservation. The Amazon represents about 40 per cent of the world's remaining tropical rainforest. Yesterday Greenpeace turned the spotlight on one of the men held responsible for the deforestation - José Donizetti Pires de Oliveira. Greenpeace activists occupied a deforested area in a remote rainforest region and unfurled a huge 2,500 square metre banner with the message "100% forest crime". They were joined by local communities who symbolically planted native trees in the area. Donizetti reacted violently to the peaceful protest, intimidated the protestors and destroyed the banner (pictures available).

Belinda Fletcher added: "If Lula does the right thing there's still a chance to save the Amazon rainforest and develop an alternative, more environmentally responsible model of development for the world's most important rainforest. If he doesn't, current rates of destruction mean we could lose the entire Amazon rainforest in the next three or four decades."  

For images or more information contact the Greenpeace press office on 0207 865 8255.