Eight former Brazilian environment ministers blasted new right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro and his administration in a letter on Wednesday, saying it is dismantling the country's environmental protections.
The former officials criticized the government's decision to strip the environment ministry's authority over forestry and water agency services, while also saying a lack of clear directives to combat climate change is threatening Brazil's ability to meet its commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
"All this reinforces in the end a sense of impunity, which is the byword for more deforestation and more violence," they wrote, arguing that this perceived dismantling was unconstitutional.