Responding to international economic pressures, Brazil sent its military to fight raging fires in the Amazon rainforest, the New York Times reported Aug. 24.
The federal government deployed two cargo planes with firefighting tools to the Brazilian state of Rondônia, and the military is evaluating how many of its roughly 44,000 troops based in the Amazon area should mobilize to fight the fires, the news outlet reported.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro also announced that the federal government would adopt a "zero tolerance" tactic when it came to environmental crimes, the Times reported. That stance contrasts with Bolsonaro's previous support for more relaxed environmental policies, the news report said.
European leaders had spoken out in recent days against Bolsonaro's lack of response to the forest fires, and on Aug. 23, French President Emmanuel Macron threatened to block a major European trade deal with Brazil and other South American countries, the Times reported.
