Bolsonaro still requires Macron to "retract"

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro once again posited Wednesday as a condition for a dialogue that French President Emmanuel Macron "retracts" after accusing him of lying and "relativizing" Brazil's sovereignty over the Amazon.

Macron "called me a liar and twice said that the (Brazilian) sovereignty of the Amazon should be relativised," the head of state told reporters. "We will be able to talk to each other again when he has retracted after what he said against me," he said.

The dramatic fires in the Amazon have caused a diplomatic crisis between Brasilia and Paris. Macron accused Bolsonaro of "lying" about his environmental commitments and said, much to Brasília's dismay, that the question of the sovereignty of the Amazon was open. France has been copiously attacked by the Brazilian government.

Emmanuel Macron had wondered about the advisability of conferring an international status on the Amazonian forest, in case the leaders of the region take decisions harmful to the planet.

"It is important to reiterate that the Brazilian Amazon is under Brazilian sovereignty," said Bolsonaro – whose country is home to 60% of the world's largest rainforest – before accusing: "Germany and especially France are buying our sovereignty. "

"Brazil is not for sale for $ 20 million or $ 20 billion," he said.

On Tuesday, Bolsonaro had already demanded an apology from Macron before any discussion on the Amazon, before Brasilia backtracked and announced in the evening to have finally accepted financial aid. The G7 meeting in France last weekend had proposed $ 20 million.

Brasilia said Tuesday night is "open" to help "foreign organizations and even countries" to fight fires "provided control of the use of funds."

But on Wednesday Bolsonaro, adding to the confusion over Brazil's position, said: "We can accept any bilateral aid."