Bolsonaro only open to accepting G7 aid if Macron withdraws his ‘insults’

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro says he’ll only consider accepting aid from the G7 if French President Emmanuel Macron withdraws the insulting comments he made about him.

Hundreds of new fires have flared up in the Amazon in Brazil. Picture: CARL DE SOUZA / AFP

Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro says he may be open to discussing G7 aid for fighting fires in the Amazon, if French President Emmanuel Macron withdraws the “insults” made against him.

On Tuesday, a top Brazilian official rejected the G7’s offer of AU$30 million to help combat the fires devastating the forest in Brazil and Bolivia, saying Mr Macron should take care of “his home and his colonies”.

“We appreciate (the offer), but maybe those resources are more relevant to reforest Europe,” Onyx Lorenzoni, Mr Bolsonaro’s chief of staff, told the G1 news website.

“Macron cannot even avoid a foreseeable fire in a church that is a world heritage site,” he added, referring to the fire in April that devastated the Notre Dame cathedral. “What does he intend to teach our country?”

The steeple and spire of Notre Dame cathedral collapsed in a fire in April this year. Picture: Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT / AFP.

But hours later, Mr Bolsonaro said he’d be open to accepting aid from France if Mr Macron withdrew his comments.

“Mr Macron must withdraw the insults he made against me. To talk or accept anything from France, with the best possible intentions, he has to withdraw these words, and from there we can talk,” he said.

WAR OF WORDS

On Monday, Mr Macron condemned “extraordinarily rude” comments made about his wife Brigitte by Mr Bolsonaro on Facebook.

Mr Bolsonaro had commented on a post comparing Mrs Macron, 66, with his wife Michelle, 37, saying “do not humiliate the guy, ha ha”.

“He said very disrespectful things about my wife, I have great respect for the Brazilian people and can only hope they soon have a president who is up to the job,” Mr Macron said in response.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has tweeted support for Mr Bolsonaro, saying he’s “working very hard on the Amazon fires” and has “the full and complete support of the USA”.

Mr Bolsonaro responded that Brazil was having “great success in fighting fires.”

“Brazil is and will continue to be an international reference for sustainable development. The fake news campaign fabricated against our sovereignty will not thrive. The US can always count on Brazil,” he said.

- Thank you, President @realDonaldTrump. We're fighting the wildfires with great success. Brazil is and will always be an international reference in sustainable development. The fake news campaign built against our sovereignty will not work. The US can always count on Brazil. 👍 https://t.co/ZicUKsYGcx

— Jair M. Bolsonaro (@jairbolsonaro) August 27, 2019

AMAZON FIRES WORST IN YEARS

The latest official figures show 1,659 new fires were started in Brazil between Sunday and Monday, taking the total this year to 82,285 — the highest since at least 2013 — even as military aircraft and troops help battle the blazes.

More than half of the fires are in the massive Amazon Basin that regulates part of Earth’s carbon cycle and climate.

Smoke choked the city of Porto Velho and forced the closure of the airport for nearly two hours as fires raged in the northwestern state of Rondonia where firefighting efforts are concentrated.

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Brazilian warplanes dumped thousands of litres of water over the weekend to battle the raging rainforest fires. Picture: Aizar RALDES / AFP

An aerial view of burnt areas of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. Picture: Lula SAMPAIO / AFP

Mr Bolsonaro — a climate-change sceptic — has faced criticism over his delayed response to the fires at home and thousands have taken to the streets in Brazil in recent days to denounce the destruction.

Brazilians have been protesting against the Government over its handling of the fires. Picture: Nelson ALMEIDA / AFP

While about 60 per cent of the Amazon is in Brazil, the vast forest also spreads over parts of eight other countries or territories, including the French overseas territory of Guiana on the continent’s northeast coast.

A charity backed by actor Leonardo DiCaprio has also donated $US 5 million ($A7.4 million) to the cause.