29/08/2019
AMAZON FIRES: INFORMATION
Ministry of Defense (MD) of Brazil:
"According to satellite images from the Amazon Protection System (Sipam) of the Ministry of Defense, from Saturday (24) to Monday (26) there has been a reduction in the number of areas affected by fires in the Legal Amazon. The Sipam satellite identifies the most critical areas affected by fire spots. The system helps to guide teams on the ground.
Operation Green Brazil is in its third day [on Monday 26th] and has involved so far around 2,500 military personnel, 15 aircraft (airplanes and helicopters), 210 vehicles and 10 boats. It started after the decree determining the deployment of the Armed Forces in the operations of Environmental Law and Order Operations (known as GLOA), last Friday 23rd. This measure is in place until September 24th.
Military operations from the three forces (Navy, Army and Air Force) are being coordinated by the Amazon Military Command and by the Northern Military Command. The first is located in Manaus and is responsible for the states of Amazonas, Acre, Rondônia, Roraima, Amapá and parts of Maranhão. The Northern Military Command is located in Belém and is responsible for the states of Pará, Amapá, Maranhão and parts of Tocantins.
While the efforts to combat the fires continue, new fire brigades are being trained and a number of preventive, investigative and awareness-raising actions are being undertaken.
The Armed Forces work in support of state governments and in subsidiary activities in border areas, in
indigenous lands and areas belonging to the Federal Government. It is an integrated effort between different institutions and public security authorities, such as the National Force, Military Fire Brigades, fire prevention and firefighting squads from the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and
Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA), Military Environmental Police forces and the Operational and Managing Center of the Amazon Protection System (CENSIPAM).
In the afternoon of Monday 26th, the President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro surveyed the activities undertaken by the Joint Operations Centre at the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense. He was received by the Minister of Defense, Fernando Azevedo, and was accompanied by the Chief of Staff of the Presidency, Onyx Lorenzoni, the Minister of Justice, Sergio Moro, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ernesto Araújo, the Minister of the Secretariat of Government, General Ramos, and the Minister for Institutional Security, General Augusto Heleno. Also present were the Commanders of the Armed Forces, Admiral Ilques Barbosa of the Navy, General Edson Leal Pujol of the Army and Brigadier Antonio Carlos Moretti Bermudez of the Air Force, as well as the spokesperson of the Presidency, General Otávio Rêgo Barros.
In the end of the meeting, the Minister of Defense emphasized the rapid response of Operation Green Brazil. "I am proud of the work of the Armed Forces in coordination with other agencies. It is obviously not an easy situation, but it is under control and we see improvement in the regions affected by the fire."
The GLOA was established to help nine states in the Legal Amazon. Among these, seven were already authorised to receive aid by the Presidency.
