Trump of the Tropics

Jair Bolsonaro is the President of Brazil and another right-wing nationalist in South America's largest country. Like his idol, Donald Trump, Jair is being called by the local media the "Trump of the Tropics" for his similar policies and opinions he tweets. The media is going crazy there trying to keep up.

With the lungs of the world engulfed in a uncontrollable wildfire in the Amazon basin, the public has been protesting the policies of the their president with over 30 groups. Protesters swarmed the main bus station in the capital city of Brasília, packing over six blocks of downtown São Paulo, and plazas across the northern cities of Recife, Manaus and Belém. The fires in the Amazon are 35% higher than normal and out of control and Brazil does not have the means to control them or put them out. Data indicates that deforestation of the Amazon has been happening at a faster rate and the fires seem to be intentional to clear the land for development. Brazil's president, like his friend , POTUS, has been critical of environmental laws and has stopped funding that enforce them, in effect, many of the regulations are not enforced. President Trump has changed or removed some 83 regulations that protect the US environment to allow for economic development.

The G7 and Bolsonaro

As the crisis in the Amazon goes unchecked causing more air pollution throughout the world as air currents carry it, the Brazilian president is acting like POTUS would, and in fact, President Trump tweeted his full support of his twin in Brazil. The rift began when the G7 offered to give $20 million in aid money to help Brazil fight the fires. Canada and Britain pledged an additional $11 million each. One might think Bolsonaro would welcome the aid.

In Trump-like fashion, he refused the aid unless the President of France, Macron, publicly apologized for Macron's comment. Macron openly said that he wished Brazil would soon have a new leader who is up to the task. Bolsonaro was greatly insulted about Macron's comments about how he has handled the Amazon crisis to date. Macron also was unhappy about Bolsonaro's policies that do not live up to the environmental commitments made under a recent trade deal. Macron felt like he had been played with false promises.

The aid money is desperately needed by Brazil to fight the fires. Brazilians are NOT happy with their Trump of the Tropics president for this and a host of other reasons, but until Macron makes an apology on the world media, Bolsonaro is not accepting the G7 money.

The world is on fire, help is there, but a bruised ego prevents the aid. Unbelievable. The world does not need Trump or more Trump-like leaders who care more about themselves than the people they represent.