Interview by President Jair Bolsonaro to Swiss Magazine Die Weltwoche 15 De Janeiro De 2020

INTERVIEW BY PRESIDENT JAIR BOLSONARO TO SWISS MAGAZINE DIE WELTWOCHE 15 DE JANEIRO DE 2020 FUNDAÇÃO ALEXANDRE DE GUSMÃO INTERVIEW BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC, JAIR BOLSONARO, TO SWISS MAGAZINE DIE WELTWOCHE: “NO COUNTRY IS MORE PROTECTIVE OF ITS ENVIRONMENT THAN BRAZIL”* Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro makes said Bolsonaro with a smile, Silvio Santos. a balance of his first year in office, talks about The most powerful television magnate in the his plans of privatization, his relationship with country had to wait in line. The message was Donald Trump, and Brazil’s leadership role in clear: here you’re dealing with a man of South America. principle. The interview was supposed to last Brasília is a terrible place, a monster with precisely thirty minutes. No more, no less. no face nor history, molded out of concrete, – Mr. President, what was the biggest within whose bowels no one would set foot of success of your first year in office? their own volition. I decided to travel to – The depoliticization of public conduct an interview with the man who could administration, a rare thing in Brazil’s recent perhaps be the most powerful, and probably history. most controversial, in Latin America. The – And the biggest defeat? meeting had been planned for weeks, but as – That we did not manage to pass the bill soon as the plane landed, I received a text: that would no longer force business owners “meeting cancelled”. No explanation given. In to publish their balances on large newsprints. social media there was speculation that – What are the main goals for this year? Bolsonaro had been diagnosed with cancer. I – The continuation of the current decided to remain in town. economic agenda: deregulation and reduction I managed to set up another meeting, the of bureaucracy, making it easier for all who following morning, at the Alvorada Palace, want to produce. The privatization of state dream residence, exclusive to the President, companies is not easy. The Federal Supreme located in a peninsula next to the Paranoá Court has just decided that this process must Lake. This time, Mr. President did not keep go through Congress. Our great test will be me waiting even for a minute. I sat on a sofa the privatization of the Postal Service. I facing him at 9 o’clock sharp. He hung up a believe the Postal Service will perform their call: “Silvio, you may call me in half an hour.” role better as a private company. That was the time allotted by Bolsonaro to the – What other privatizations are still Die Welwoche journal for a balance of the first pending? year of his government. “Is that the Silvio I – We have over four hundred state think it is?” That was my first question. “Yes,” companies. Let us take for instance * Non-official translation of the interview given by the President of the Republic, Jair Bolsonaro, to the Swiss weekly magazine Die Weltwoche, on January 15, 2020. Original written by Flavio Morgenstern and translated into Portuguese by the Embassy of Brazil in Berna. Source: <http://www.itamaraty.gov.br/pt-BR/discursos-artigos-e-entrevistas-categoria/presidente-da-republica-federativa-do- brasil-entrevistas>. Interview by President Jair Bolsonaro Hemobrás. The business makes approximately – What can the indigenous peoples of the one billion reais (around 250 thousand Amazon expect from the government? Do dollars, editor’s note) a year, but shows no you intend to preserve indigenous profit. The company is a “job-generating reservations or reduce them? machine” for certain people. The employees – This debate began with my trip to are protected against lay-offs, we have to find Osaka, an occasion when the French them new jobs. Privatization is, before President was concerned with Brazil. He anything else, a giant legal battle. apparently could not contain the controversy – In Europe, the Bolsonaro administration surrounding the devastating fire at the Notre- is considered, due to its liberal agricultural Dame Cathedral, so he spoke about the fires policies, a threat to the Amazon. What do you in Brazil and about the indigenous territories. have to say about that? Today, these reservations make up 14% of – No country is more protective of its our territory. It was planned to expand the environment than Brazil. Around 60% of our reservations, until the end of 2022, to 20% of territory is constituted by natural preserves, our territory. But then, in this interim, my national parks, environmental protection unexpected election took place. The zones, or indigenous reservations. This is reservations will remain as they are, but with unique in the world. Less than 3% of the a small reduction. In places where they’re not Amazon rainforest’s area is dedicated to even used anymore by the indigenous agriculture. This forest does not burn, peoples – I call this ethnological fraud –, as is because it is too humid. the case with two reservations, they must be – Then why is Brazil constantly put suppressed. against the wall as an environmental sinner? – What do you think of the indigenous – The reason is agricultural peoples? protectionism. The powerful countries of the – As a military man, I had many contacts world want to hinder trade. Unfortunately, the with the indigenous peoples, and, as Brazilian press is dedicated to spreading lies. President, I have met with three indigenous Most fake news in this area originates here in leaders this year. From the viewpoint of many Brazil, because it is common knowledge that Europeans, the indigenous peoples have this is how the biggest headlines, to the point stopped developing at some point. Were they that Time Magazine declared a sixteen-year- simply unlucky? Many want them to be old brat “Person of the Year”. There is nothing preserved in their reservations, as primitive more than business behind that. people. But it is the indigenous peoples 2 Interview by President Jair Bolsonaro themselves who have approached civilization, is left in European countries? Last August, because they recognized what it means to be Germany withdrew its contribution to the free of toothaches or parasites, or healing reforestation of the Amazon, approximately from an otherwise lethal snakebite. They US$ 25 million a year, I do not have the exact recognized that it is easier to grind grain with figures at hand. Well, fine, Germany should an electric machine than manually. Many use the money to reforest its own virgin former nomads have long settled down and forests! We are doing very well; we do not started their own businesses, and there is an need that help. Brazil does not renounce the indigenous middle class. This process is sovereignty of its territory in exchange for called evolution. No one is forcing the handouts. indigenous peoples to undergo that, but we – What can the rich industrialized should not deny them this right either, which countries do for Brazil? What would you say for us is something evident. to a Swiss? – How should the life of the indigenous – Above all, they should not spread peoples improve? untruths about Brazil. I would say to the – That is difficult. But I will give you an Swiss: come to us, look on the country with example. There are many miners in the your own eyes, fly from Boa Vista to Manaus, reservations, illegal miners of gold and for instance (approximately 700 km, editor’s precious stones. Instead of fighting illegality, note), over the Amazon rainforest, look out we should allow legal exploitation. Maybe the the window, and you will see neither fire nor precious stones – which are currently sold deforested areas. Brazil needs no help, we cheaply abroad, in the black market – can be want to do business. Brazil helps feed about processed by the indigenous peoples a billion of the 7.6 billion people in the world, themselves. a number which increases every year. Since – You have criticized the Paris we cannot, at the moment, grow crops in Agreement several times. Will Brazil leave Mars, Venus, Saturn, Uranus, or Neptune, we the agreement? must cover our basic needs on Earth, for – The only country which not only fulfills some time. Our farmers do their part to fight the terms of the Paris Agreement, but goes hunger in the world. We must protect them beyond, is Brazil. Brazil is doing its part, we from exaggerated reprimands. are fighting illegal deforestation, we are – Could you speak about the fighting illegal fires. We are on the side of the controversial free trade agreement between law. But I ask myself: how much natural forest MERCOSUR (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, 3 Interview by President Jair Bolsonaro Uruguay, editor’s note) and the European – Venezuela is not just Maduro. What Union and EFTA (European Free Trade gives Maduro strength is his surroundings; Association, translator’s note)? many interests play a role. China is involved, – I expect these agreements to be Russia, there are drug trafficking generals implemented in one and a half to two years. and around 60,000 Cubans in the country, But all countries involved must agree. All there are militias, and there are terrorist would benefit, including Brazil, of course. groups – and they all know that, when Apart from that, we have finalized deals with Maduro falls, they will all fall. It is a very Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi complex story. Arabia to provide for their food needs. Brazil – How can a country like Venezuela, is considered a very reliable supplier. This which swims in a sea of oil, fall so steeply? year, we have further strengthened that trust. – People believed it rained manna in – The “Bolsonaro wave” in Brazil has a Venezuela. When an oil barrel cost 120 US strong nationalist component.

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