Beleaguered Bolsonaro sends military to Amazon

As threat of global sanctions mounts, Varadkar vows Ireland won’t sign Mercosur trade agreement unless Brazil protects the rainforest

Indigenous Amazonians and activists protest against Jair Bolsonaro’s government outside the Brazilian embassy in Bogotá, Colombia this weekend Pic: Getty

The embattled Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has said he is sending troops to the Amazon rainforest to fight fires raging there – while pleading with international leaders not to impose sanctions on his country.

Both Ireland and France have threatened not to ratify the Mercosur trade deal agreed between a number of South American countries and the European Union if Brazil does not honour its environmental commitments.

Bolsonaro has been accused of being ...