Army to investigate NGO activities in the Amazon

Fernanda Muylaert

Agência Brasil

Brasília - An army spokesman reports that NGO activities in the Amazon region are being investigated. According to commander Francisco Albuquerque, the Army sees the presence of NGOs in the Amazon favorably, as long as Brazilian sovereignty is respected.

Deputy André Costa (PDT-RJ) is sponsoring a bill that would make oversight of NGO activities in the Amazon the norm. Costa says most of the NGOs are well-intentioned, but "some of them serve the geopolitical interests of other countries. They use foreign financing to engage in activities that are not always in the interest of the people of the Amazon."

Translation: Allen Bennett