The vice president-elect, Geraldo Alckmin, participates during a speech by the president-elect, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva | Photo: EFE/ Joédson Alves

Brasilia, November 15 (RHC)-- Brazil's vice-president-elect and coordinator of the transition team of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's government, Geraldo Alckmin, has asked Jair Bolsonaro's government for access to complete data on deforestation in the Amazon the last year because, in his opinion, these numbers already exist and should be known.

"We ask that they send us the complete reports of the "Prodes Amazon" and "Prodes Cerrado" data for the period from August 2021 to July 2022 so that we can analyze the information they bring and take the necessary measures (...)   Those numbers already exist and we need to be informed," said the vice president-elect at a press conference.

"Prodes" is one of the satellite systems used by the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) to monitor deforestation, both in the Amazon and in the "cerrado," the Brazilian tropical savannah.  Last year, the Bolsonaro government waited until the end of COP26 to release the report, which concluded that in that year, the Amazon experienced the worst deforestation rates in 15 years.

Last week, data from Deter (another INPE system) showed that the Amazon rainforest lost more than 900 square kilometers of vegetation last October, the worst figure since records began.  The push for complete data for last year comes shortly before Lula arrives in Sharm el Sheikh (Egypt), where he will participate in COP27, the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Before leaving for Egypt and the COP27 climate conference, the future president of Brazil assured in a message on his social networks that the fight against climate change has to be a commitment of the Brazilian State.