VIDEO. A French activist and a native Brazilian discuss the Amazon

“We pass a tipping point which means that the Amazonian forest begins to emit more CO2 than it absorbs.“Over the last decade, deforestation has increased by 75% in the Amazon. A phenomenon that was accentuated by President Jair Bolsonaro, elected in 2018. But the trend could be reversed in the country, because the second round of the presidential election will be held on October 30. It opposes the outgoing president to Lula, also formerly head of state from 2003 to 2011. He had notably reduced deforestation by 80% during his mandates. For Brut., Samela Sateré-Mawé, an indigenous Brazilian, discusses with Camille Étienne, a French activist, the dangers of Amazonian deforestation.

“For a long time, we have maintained the climatic balance, the balance of biodiversity in our territories. Davi Kopenawa says the Yanomami make sure the sky doesn’t fall. But the collective struggle of the indigenous peoples of Brazil aims to ensure that the sky does not fall on the heads not only of the indigenous peoples, but of all humanity. It is therefore not only a struggle of indigenous peoples but a collective struggle. We indigenous people have a sense of belonging and connection, we understand nature, the territory as an extension, a part of our body. So when they burn the trees, it’s like they burn our bodies”, denounces Samela Sateré-Mawé.

“It’s also somewhat our fault, because I know that deforestation is mainly due to the imports that we do in our countries. When we, here, risk at worst police custody when we engage in civil disobedience or a bit of harassment on Twitter, you take greater risks, so I have immense admiration for the work that you do in the field”, greets Camille Étienne.