Jair Bolsonaro Faces Major Indictment as Brazil's Political Landscape Shifts

A new four-lane highway is being constructed through the Amazon rainforest in Belem, Brazil, to accommodate traffic for the upcoming COP30 climate summit, which is expected to attract over 50,000 attendees, including world leaders. According to state officials, the project is framed as a "sustainable" development initiative. However, it has drawn fierce criticism from locals and environmentalists who argue that it contradicts the summit's goals aimed at combating climate change.
The project has already led to significant deforestation, with thousands of trees cut down, leaving behind piles of logs on cleared land. Local resident Claudio Verrequete has lost his açaí berry harvesting livelihood and expressed concerns over the lack of compensation and impending encroachment on their land due to improved access to the area. Environmental experts warn that the highway will disrupt wildlife movements and fragment the ecosystem, with Professor Silvia Sardinha highlighting the injuries animals sustain from vehicle collisions.
This construction raises questions about Brazil’s commitment to preserving the Amazon while hosting a climate conference intended to address global environmental challenges.