Brazil state hosting COP30 denies new road linked to climate summit

Record ID: 1983391

  • Title: Brazil state hosting COP30 denies new road linked to climate summit
  • Date: 14th March 2025
  • Summary: BELEM, PARA, BRAZIL (MARCH 14, 2025) (REUTERS) RESIDENT WAKING IN PATH (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) AFRO-BRAZILIAN RESIDENT, EDNALVA CARDOSO, SAYING: “There are 13 kilometers (8 miles) of deforestation, the fauna is suffering, we find dead animals, the loss of crossings. We even find jaguars approaching the territory, the Igarape (river) that Avenida Liberdade crossed, many fi
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  • Keywords: Amazon COP30 destruction environment road wildlife
  • Location: BELEM, PARA, BRAZIL / INTERNET
  • City: BELEM, PARA, BRAZIL / INTERNET
  • Country: Brazil
  • Topics: Environment,South America / Central America
  • Reuters ID: LVA001901514032025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:The Brazilian state hosting a United Nations climate summit this year has denied any connection between a new road cutting through a protected area of Brazilian rainforest and the COP30 summit that will gather world leaders in November.
    Work to build the divided four-lane highway, called Avenida Liberdade, began in 2020, before the state capital Belem was chosen to host the summit, said Para's state government.
    The project, which follows the path of an existing power line through a conservation area south of the city, has not received federal funds from Brazil's efforts preparing the city for COP30, according to the state and federal governments.
    "We were not consulted... it was yet another instance where our rights violated, it started off wrong there," Afro-Brazilian resident Evelyn Costa. Residents also complained about the environmental impact of the works, saying they had found dead animals.
    BBC reported this week that a state infrastructure secretary had listed the new road among 30 projects preparing the city for COP30. The state government said that report did not reflect the facts. Reuters could not reach the official cited in the report.
    (Production: Adriano Machado, Marx Vasconcelos, Lais Morais, Nina Lopez)
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