Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Lebanese Ministry of Health: Final toll from airstrike on car in Zebdine, Nabatieh District: Two martyrs, four injured
Egyptian media: Indirect talks between Hamas and Israelis begin in Sharm el-Sheikh.
AFP: France's new PM Sebastein Lecornu resigns just hours after unveiling cabinet.
Trump: Technical teams will meet again on Monday in Egypt to discuss and clarify the final details, and the first phase is scheduled to be completed this week
US President Donald Trump: Talks with Hamas have been very successful and are moving at a rapid pace
Local sources in Aleppo: Violent clashes erupt between the SDF and factions affiliated with the transitional authority on the Deir Hafer and Tishrin Dam fronts in the eastern Aleppo countryside
Israeli media: Interceptor missiles fired in an attempt to shoot down the drone
IOF Spokesperson: Sirens sounded amid suspected "enemy aircraft" infiltrating the Eilat area
Israeli media: "Israel" won the battle but lost the war strategically and politically
Israeli media: Ben Gurion Airport's airspace closed to air traffic following missile launch from Yemen

Brazil military tried to play down deforestation by posing as NGOs

  • By Al Mayadeen Net
  • Source: Agencies
  • 7 Apr 2022 23:23
  • 1 Shares
3 Min Read

Bolsonaro better prepare for the up-and-coming round of criticism coming his way, as his military was found to be involved in anti-environmentalist propaganda.

  • x
  • A Brazilian soldier supervising deforestation in Brazil
    A Brazilian soldier supervising deforestation in Brazil

Meta's Facebook has removed a network of social media accounts linked to the Brazilian military, which posed as fake NGOs in a bid to play down the catastrophic dangers of deforestation as President Jair Bolosonaro seeks economic benefits for Brasil at the expense of its ecosystem.

The area deforested in Brazil’s Amazon reached a 15-year high after a 22% jump from the prior year, Brazilian authorities reported in November.

Former records showed that the Brazilian Amazon has lost 13,235 square kilometers of rainforest in one year only, hitting a record high since 2006.

The comments made by Meta, published in a quarterly report, are heavily impactful for Bolsonaro's government, which is highly opposed by the Brazilian public due to its far-right anti-vax and anti-environmentalist policies.

The individuals found to be involved in the propaganda debacle are active military personnel, though an investigation carried out by Facebook's parent company could not find enough evidence to prove whether they had received orders from Brasilia, a knowledgeable source said.

Related News

Michelle Bolsonaro positions herself as leader of Brazil's far-right

US targets family of Brazil’s top judge with sanctions in rare move

The takedown of the network will likely stoke the fire of Bolsonaro's attacks on big tech firms over what he claims to be the silencing of conservative voices on their social media platforms.

Bolsonaro's critics, on the other hand, see that the president and his supporters employ those platforms as a tool for spreading dangerous disinformation and undermining the democratic process and institutions in Brazil.

The network was found to be using Facebook and Instagram to post about land reform and the pandemic in 2020 but later turned to post about environmental issues in 2021.

"In 2021, they created Pages that posed as fictitious NGOs and activists focused on environmental issues in the Amazonas region of Brazil. They posted about deforestation, including arguing that not all of it is harmful, and criticizing legitimate environmental NGOs who spoke out against deforestation in the Amazon,” Meta's report read.

"Although the people behind [the network] attempted to conceal their identities and coordination, our investigation found links to individuals associated with the Brazilian Military," the tech giant added.

Before Jair Bolsonaro's term began in January 2019, the Brazilian Amazon had not recorded a single year with more than 10,000 square kilometers of deforestation in over a decade. Between 2009 and 2018, the average was 6,500 square kilometers. Since then, the annual average leaped to 11,405 square kilometers, and the three-year total is an area bigger than the state of Maryland.

  • Jair Bolsonaro
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Brazil
  • deforestation
  • Amazon
  • Meta

Most Read

Iraq at a crossroads: A new war front?

Iraq at a crossroads: A new war front?

  • West Asia
  • 30 Sep 2025
A Hamas fighter in combat fatigues stands before the ceremony for the handover of Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, February 22, 2025 (AP)

Hamas responds to Trump plan, backs Gaza withdrawal, exchange

  • Politics
  • 3 Oct 2025
Tucker Carlson speaks at a memorial for Charlie Kirk, Sunday, September 21, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona (AP)

Tucker Carlson: Israeli officers gave orders on Iran inside Pentagon

  • Politics
  • 2 Oct 2025
ap

'Israel' pays influencers $7K per post to whitewash Gaza genocide

  • Politics
  • 1 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Hezbollah's representative in Iran, Sayyed Abdullah Safieddine, during an interview with Al Mayadeen which aired on October 6, 2025 (Al Mayadeen)
Politics

Tehran never interferes in Hezbollah decisions: Representative in Iran

Smoke billows over the Gaza Strip following an Israeli bombardment, as seen from southern Palestine, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (AP)
Politics

Indirect talks for a ceasefire in Gaza begin in Sharm El-Sheikh: Egypt

Fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) prepare to attend a military parad in Qamishli, northeastern Syria, Tuesday, August 12, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Security forces seal Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh districts

Amsterdam Captain Mohammed Ali Mohiuddin, who took part in the Global Sumud mission to Gaza, talks to Al Mayadeen on October 6, 2025 (Screengrab)
Politics

GSF captain says despite abuse, 'Israel weaker than spider's web'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS