May 15, 2020
As part of the immediate actions proposed by the National Council of the Legal Amazon, operations were launched today in the Brazilian Legal Amazon, in the framework of Operação Verde Brasil 2 (Operation Green Brazil 2). The legal basis for the operation is Decree No. 10.341 of 6 May 2020, signed by President Jair Bolsonaro, which authorises the deployment of the Armed Forces to guarantee law and order (or GLO, as these operations are known under Brazilian law) with the aim of preventing and combating environmental crimes, as well as fighting fires in the Legal Amazon.

Operations, which are coordinated by the Centre of Joint Operations of the Ministry of Defence, began in National Forests of Jacundá and Vila Samuel, in the State of Rondônia. They include the deployment of agents from the Brazilian environment agency IBAMA and the biodiversity conservation institute ICMBio, servicemen from the Brazilian Army, the Federal Police, the Federal Highways Police and the National Security Force, as well as Brazilian Navy vessels and Brazilian Armed Forces aircraft.

The operations are being launched from Porto Velho (state of Rondônia), Cuiabá (Mato Grosso) and Marabá (Pará). Their planning has been based on intelligence reports by the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (ABIN) – the central body of the Brazilian Intelligence System -, and on satellite images generated by the Operational and Administrative Centre of the Amazon Protection System (CENISPAM), which identified ilegal activities being carried out in areas protected by Federal Law.

At the moment, IBAMA and ICMBio personnel are undertaking raids and imposing penalties in these locations. These environment agents are being protected by federal forces, who are acting with the police powers conferred to them by the GLO presidential decree.

Later this afternoon, Vice-President Hamilton Mourão will hold a press conference on the operation at the CENSIPAM headquarters, in Brasilia. Also present will be the Minister of Defence; the Minister of Justice and Public Security; the Minister of the Environment; the Minister of the Cabinet for Institutional Security; the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Head of Joint Operations.

Report by Sohail Majeed Butt