Brazilian environmentalists organized protests on Sunday (30) in several states across the country against the new environmental licensing law, which was approved after the presidential veto was overturned by the National Congress.
The protest was guided by the slogans “Congress is the enemy of the people and the environment” and “No to the law of destruction.”
The text of the new law is a subject of great controversy. Environmental and scientific organizations have already expressed concern over the new standard for months, saying it represents a historic setback.
According to the organizers, events are scheduled in seven states (PA, SP, PI, MA, MG, AL, RN) and the Federal District. One of the protests took place on Avenida Paulista in São Paulo.
President Lula (PT) vetoed several sections of the contested environmental licensing bill. After the veto, the bill had to be sent back to the legislature, which could approve or repeal sections struck out by the executive branch. The presidential veto of the bill in question was overturned, for the most part, last Thursday.
As a result, the disputed parts of the legal text were returned. One of the most important is the expansion of LAC (Licensing Attachment and Commitment) – called “self-licensing” – to include projects with a moderate environmental impact.
NGOs have dubbed the draft law changing environmental licenses the “Destruction Law.”