The influence of Bolsonaro in the deforestation of the Amazon: An analysis of the Brazilian president’s discourses
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2022-08-31
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en
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For decades, the Brazilian Amazon has been an area of great dispute over land rights, economic development and conservation efforts. Since the election of Jair Bolsonaro in 2018, the country has drawn public attention to the way the current government is handling environmental issues, particularly in relation to deforestation in the Amazon. Over the past 4 years, Bolsonaro had repeatedly articulated his intentions to weaken Brazil's environmental laws and curtail their enforcement. This research conducts a discourse analysis aimed at investigating the existence of a causal relationship between the discourses of the Brazilian president and the current ecological emergency in the country. The theories of discourse, power and structuration and the links between them form the theoretical basis of this study. Desk research, documentary analysis and interview analysis complement the chosen research strategy. The findings indicate a causal link between Bolsonaro's discourses and increasing deforestation in the Amazon, suggesting that the president propagates a push for non-compliance with environmental laws. Although this qualitative study cannot confirm that there is a specific causal link between Bolsonaro's discourses and the increase in economic exploitation in the Amazon, it can be argued that the president's words have explicitly incentivised environmental and social crimes.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen