On Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that leaders of G7 countries agreed to help the countries of the Amazon basin to deal with forest fires that he described as a serious international crisis, while criticizing his Brazilian counterpart, Jair Bolsonaro, for not following his obligations to combat climate change.

The Brazilian government has rejected an offer of aid by the G7 countries to deal with the Amazon fires , according to AFP.

"We appreciate [the offer], but maybe those resources are more relevant to reforest Europe," Onyx Lorenzoni, chief of staff to President Jair Bolsonaro, told the G1 news website, as cited by AFP.

On Monday, Macron announced that the G7 would "immediately send to the Amazon countries... financial support worth at least about 20 million euros."

The Amazon rainforest, which produces about 20 percent of the Earth's atmosphere's oxygen, is burning from wildfires at a record rate and has drawn international attention.

Environmental activists have been staging protests at Brazilian embassies worldwide and accusing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro of supporting farmers who are burning the rainforest to expand farming land.

On Saturday, the Brazilian authorities deployed troops in an attempt to fight the environmental disaster. </s> BIARRITZ, France (AFP) — The G7 will give US$20 million (18 million euros) to send firefighting planes to tackle the blazes engulfing parts of the Amazon, the presidents of France and Chile said yesterday.

“We must respond to the call of the forest which is burning today in the Amazon,” France's Emmanuel Macron said as President Sebastian Pinera of Chile, a guest of the G7, underlined that, “countries of the Amazon are in dire need of fire brigades and water bomber planes.”

Nearly 80,000 forest fires have been detected in Brazil since the beginning of the year — just over half of them in the massive Amazon basin.

The pledges came as data showed that hundreds of new fires have flared up in the Amazon, even as military aircraft dumped water over hard-hit areas.

Macron had declared the situation an “international crisis” and made it a priority of the summit of the G7, which comprises Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States.

G7 leaders gathered in Biarritz held talks on the many environmental challenges facing planet Earth, with a focus on the record number of fires destroying swathes of the Amazon.

Macron has threatened to block a huge new trade deal between the European Union and Latin America unless Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a climate change sceptic, takes serious steps to protect the fast-shrinking forest from logging and mining.

Bolsonaro lashed out at the French leader over his criticism and suggested NGOs could be setting the fires to embarrass him — without giving any evidence to back the claim.

But at the weekend, he finally caved in to international pressure to save a region crucial for maintaining a stable global climate, deploying two aircraft to douse fires and authorising the army to help tackle the blazes.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his country would send a water bomber plane to fight the Amazon blazes and contribute some US$15 million to the effort.

The G7 also agreed to support a reforestation plan to be unveiled in September, the leaders said.

Brazil would have to agree to any reforestation plan, as would indigenous communities living in the world's biggest rainforest.

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said new planting was needed “to preserve this universal heritage, which is absolutely essential for the well-being of the world's population”.

He said the issue would be discussed during the UN General Assembly in New York in September.

Macron said it was hoped “at least 30 million” dollars could be raised for the project.

Yesterday evening, the French leader met Brazilian indigenous chief Raoni Metuktire, who said he had asked Macron to “help us preserve our lands”.

“The forests and lands of Brazil help the entire planet live,” said the chief, an advocate for indigenous rights.

Greenpeace Executive Director Jennifer Morgan welcomed the G7 aid, but said the club must also “stop fuelling the destruction of the Amazon through the import of agricultural products associated with deforestation and soil degradation”. </s> Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro is willing to accept foreign aid for fighting fires devastating the Amazon rainforest, but only if the country controls the funds, his spokesman said Tuesday.

The announcement suggests Bolsonaro has dropped an earlier demand that French President Emmanuel Macron withdraw "insults" made against him before he would accept a G7 offer to help put out the fires in the world's largest rainforest.

"The Brazilian government through President Bolsonaro is open to receiving financial support from organizations and even countries," Otavio Rego Barros told reporters in the capital Brasilia, without referring specifically to the G7's offer.

"The essential point is that this money, on entering Brazil, will be under the control of the Brazilian people."

Bolsonaro has been involved in an escalating war of words with Macron over the worst fires to hit the Amazon in years -- blazes that have sparked a global outcry and threatened to torpedo a huge trade deal between the European Union and South American countries.

A top Brazilian official on Monday rejected the G7 countries' offer of $20 million to combat the fires devastating the forest in Brazil and Bolivia, saying Macron should take care of "his home and his colonies."

"Mr Macron must withdraw the insults he made against me," Bolsonaro told reporters in the capital Brasilia earlier Tuesday.

"To talk or accept anything from France, with the best possible intentions, he has to withdraw these words, and from there we can talk."

Macron and Bolsonaro have repeatedly locked horns in the past week, with the French leader accusing Bolsonaro of lying to him about his commitments on climate change and vowing to block the EU-Mercosur trade deal involving Brazil that took decades to negotiate.

On Monday, Macron rebuked the "extraordinarily rude" Bolsonaro after the Brazilian leader personally expressed approval for a Facebook post implying that Brigitte Macron was not as attractive as his own first lady, Michelle Bolsonaro.

Bolsonaro has hit back, accusing Macron of treating Brazil like "a colony or no-man's land."

The latest official figures show 1,659 new fires were started in Brazil between Sunday and Monday, taking the total this year to 82,285 -- the highest since at least 2013 -- even as military aircraft and troops help battle the blazes.

More than half of the fires are in the massive Amazon basin.

The governors of several states in the Amazon told Bolsonaro in a meeting Tuesday that international help was needed.

Their plea comes after Norway and Germany halted around $70 million in Amazon protection subsidies earlier this month.

Bolsonaro -- a climate-change skeptic -- has faced criticism at home over his delayed response to the fires, and thousands have protested in Brazil in recent days to denounce the destruction.

But U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted that the Brazilian leader was "working very hard on the Amazon fires and in all respects doing a great job for the people of Brazil - Not easy."

In response, Bolsonaro replied: "We're fighting the wildfires with great success. Brazil is and will always be an international reference in sustainable development."

"The fake news campaign built against our sovereignty will not work. The US can always count on Brazil."

In the hard-hit northwestern state of Rondonia, thick smoke has choked the capital Porto Velho in recent days as fires blacken swaths of the rainforest.

Defense Minister Fernando Azevedo e Silva on Monday said the fires were "under control."

"It has been exaggerated a little that the situation was out of control -- it wasn't," he said. "The situation isn't simple but it is under control."

Nearly 2,500 troops and 15 aircraft, including two C-130 Hercules, have been deployed, according to the defense ministry, which has published satellite data it says show a reduction in the number of fires in the nine states spanning the Amazon.

More than 43,000 troops were available to help put out fires, the government said previously.

Rain in some of the affected areas is also helping.

Experts say increased land clearing during the months-long dry season to make way for crops or grazing has aggravated the recurring problem this year.

Although about 60 percent of the Amazon is in Brazil, the vast forest also spreads over parts of eight other countries or territories, including the French overseas territory of Guiana on the continent's northeast coast.

Bolivia's leftist President Evo Morales on Tuesday gave a half-hearted welcome to the G7 aid pledge, which he described as "tiny."

Morales and his rival for the Bolivian presidency have suspended campaigning to deal with the voracious fires that the president said had destroyed 1.2 million hectares, or more than 4,000 square miles, of forest and grassland since May. </s> The office for the French president declined to comment.

The fires are not limited to Brazil, with at least 10,000 sq km (about 3,800 sq miles) burning in Bolivia, near its border with Paraguay and Brazil. (Photo: AP)

Brazil: Brazil said on Tuesday it was ready to accept foreign aid to help fight fires in the Amazon but only if it could determine how it was spent, in an apparent attempt to smooth over a public spat between the Brazilian and French presidents.

The comments by presidential spokesman Rego Barros came after governors of states in the Brazilian Amazon told President Jair Bolsonaro that they needed the money to help fight the record wildfires in the world’s largest tropical rainforest.

“The Brazilian government, through its president, is open to receiving financial support from organizations and countries. This money, when it enters the country, will have the total governance of the Brazilian people,” Barros said.

Separately, a diplomatic source in Brasilia told Reuters the Brazilian government had also accepted 10 million pounds from Britain to fight the fires. Bolsonaro’s press office was not immediately available to comment on the information.

Earlier on Tuesday, Bolsonaro had said he would only consider accepting a USD 20 million offer of aid from the Group of Seven wealthy nations if French President Emmanuel Macron withdrew the “insults” against him.

Bolsonaro and Macron have been embroiled in a deeply personal and public war of words in recent days, with Bolsonaro mocking Macron’s wife and accusing the French leader of disrespecting Brazil’s sovereignty. Macron has called Bolsonaro a liar and said Brazilian women are “probably ashamed” of him.

The office for the French president declined to comment.

Brazil’s president is finding himself increasingly isolated on the global stage over his response to the blazes, which threaten what many view as a key bulwark against global climate change.

The far-right government’s response could threaten Brazil’s trade deals and powerful agribusiness sector, which is a crucial driver of its recession-plagued economy.

“We think that it’s not the moment to turn down money,” Flávio Dino, the governor of Maranhao state, told reporters after a meeting in which Bolsonaro pledged to agree on a package of legislative measures with the states by September 5 to help prevent the surge in forest fires happening again.

“The anti-environment rhetoric could expose Brazil to international sanctions,” Dino said.

The number of blazes in Brazil has skyrocketed 80 per cent in the year to date compared to the same period in 2018, according to data from space research agency INPE.

About 90 km (55 miles) from Porto Velho, in the Amazon state of Rondonia, a Reuters witness saw houses abandoned due to the fierce forest fires. There were isolated patches of rain on Tuesday, but not enough to put out the fires, he said.

Widespread rain that could snuff the fires out are likely weeks away, according to weather data and two experts.

A local farmer, who declined to give his name, said he expected the fires to worsen next week when the forest is usually at its driest.

G7 leaders pledged the USD 20 million after discussing the fires ravaging an area often dubbed “the lungs of the world”.

The offer, which was made at a summit in France on Monday, has stirred up emotions within Bolsonaro’s nationalist government. Some officials are grateful for the much-needed help, and others view it as a colonial gesture that undermines Brazil’s control of its lands.

Bolsonaro raised Macron’s ire on Sunday when the Brazilian leader responded to a Facebook post that compared the looks of his wife Michelle, 37, with Macron’s 66-year-old wife Brigitte. “Do not humiliate the man hahahah,” Bolsonaro wrote.

Macron, who has accused Bolsonaro of lying about climate change policy, called the remarks “extremely disrespectful” to his wife.

Read | 'Macron to withdraw 'insults' for Brazil to accept aid for Amazon fire: Bolsonaro

On Tuesday morning, Bolsonaro said he would only countenance accepting G7 money if Macron retracted his earlier comments.

“First of all, Macron has to withdraw his insults. He called me a liar. Before we talk or accept anything from France ... he must withdraw these words then we can talk,” Bolsonaro told reporters in Brasilia. “First he withdraws, then offers (aid), then I will answer.”

Barros, the president’s official spokesman, told reporters later that Brazil was open to accepting international aid if it could decide how the money is spent.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday tweeted his support for Bolsonaro, an ideological ally on the environment, China and trade.

The Brazilian president “is working very hard on the Amazon fires and in all respects doing a great job for the people of Brazil - Not easy. He and his country have the full and complete support of the USA!” Trump tweeted.

Bolsonaro responded, also on Twitter: “We’re fighting the wildfires with great success. Brazil is and will always be an international reference in sustainable development.”

The fires are not limited to Brazil, with at least 10,000 sq km (about 3,800 sq miles) burning in Bolivia, near its border with Paraguay and Brazil.

Neighbours Peru and Colombia on Tuesday asked Bolsonaro to attend a meeting on Sept. 6 to discuss the disaster and come up with a long-term coordinated plan to stop deforestation. </s> BRASILIA, Aug 28 — Brazil said yesterday it was ready to accept foreign aid to help fight fires in the Amazon but only if it could determine how it was spent, in an apparent attempt to smooth over a public spat between the Brazilian and French presidents.

The comments by presidential spokesman Rego Barros came after governors of states in the Brazilian Amazon told President Jair Bolsonaro that they needed the money to help fight the record wildfires in the world's largest tropical rainforest.

“The Brazilian government, through its president, is open to receiving financial support from organisations and countries. This money, when it enters the country, will have the total governance of the Brazilian people,” Barros said.

Separately, a diplomatic source in Brasilia told Reuters the Brazilian government had also accepted £10 million (RM51.4 million) from Britain to fight the fires. Bolsonaro's press office was not immediately available to comment on the information.

Earlier yesterday, Bolsonaro had said he would only consider accepting a US$20 million (RM84 million) offer of aid from the Group of Seven wealthy nations if French President Emmanuel Macron withdrew the "insults" against him.

Bolsonaro and Macron have been embroiled in a deeply personal and public war of words in recent days, with Bolsonaro mocking Macron's wife and accusing the French leader of disrespecting Brazil's sovereignty. Macron has called Bolsonaro a liar and said Brazilian women are “probably ashamed” of him.

The office for the French president declined to comment.

Brazil's president is finding himself increasingly isolated on the global stage over his response to the blazes, which threaten what many view as a key bulwark against global climate change.

The far-right government's response could threaten Brazil's trade deals and powerful agribusiness sector, which is a crucial driver of its recession-plagued economy.

“We think that it's not the moment to turn down money,” Flávio Dino, the governor of Maranhao state, told reporters after a meeting in which Bolsonaro pledged to agree on a package of legislative measures with the states by September 5 to help prevent the surge in forest fires happening again.

“The anti-environment rhetoric could expose Brazil to international sanctions,” Dino said.

The number of blazes in Brazil has skyrocketed 80 per cent in the year to date compared to the same period in 2018, according to data from space research agency INPE.

About 90 km from Porto Velho, in the Amazon state of Rondonia, a Reuters witness saw houses abandoned due to the fierce forest fires. There were isolated patches of rain on Tuesday, but not enough to put out the fires, he said.

Widespread rain that could snuff the fires out are likely weeks away, according to weather data and two experts.

A local farmer, who declined to give his name, said he expected the fires to worsen next week when the forest is usually at its driest.

G7 leaders pledged the US$20 million after discussing the fires ravaging an area often dubbed "the lungs of the world."

The offer, which was made at a summit in France on Monday, has stirred up emotions within Bolsonaro's nationalist government. Some officials are grateful for the much-needed help, and others view it as a colonial gesture that undermines Brazil's control of its lands.

Bolsonaro raised Macron's ire on Sunday when the Brazilian leader responded to a Facebook post that compared the looks of his wife Michelle, 37, with Macron’s 66-year-old wife Brigitte. “Do not humiliate the man hahahah,” Bolsonaro wrote.

Macron, who has accused Bolsonaro of lying about climate change policy, called the remarks “extremely disrespectful” to his wife.

Yesterday morning, Bolsonaro said he would only countenance accepting G7 money if Macron retracted his earlier comments.

“First of all, Macron has to withdraw his insults. He called me a liar. Before we talk or accept anything from France ... he must withdraw these words then we can talk,” Bolsonaro told reporters in Brasilia. “First he withdraws, then offers (aid), then I will answer.”

Barros, the president's official spokesman, told reporters later that Brazil was open to accepting international aid if it could decide how the money is spent.

US President Donald Trump yesterday tweeted his support for Bolsonaro, an ideological ally on the environment, China and trade.

The Brazilian president “is working very hard on the Amazon fires and in all respects doing a great job for the people of Brazil — Not easy. He and his country have the full and complete support of the USA!” Trump tweeted.

Bolsonaro responded, also on Twitter: "We're fighting the wildfires with great success. Brazil is and will always be an international reference in sustainable development."

The fires are not limited to Brazil, with at least 10,000 sq km burning in Bolivia, near its border with Paraguay and Brazil.

Neighbours Peru and Colombia yestetrday asked Bolsonaro to attend a meeting on September 6 to discuss the disaster and come up with a long-term coordinated plan to stop deforestation.

Norway's environment minister yesterday urged representatives of oil firm Equinor, fertiliser-maker Yara and aluminium producer Norsk Hydro to make sure their supply chains in Brazil are not linked to deforestation. — Reuters </s> The Brazilian government has reportedly rejected an offer of aid by the G7 countries to deal with the Amazon fires, according to AFP.

On Monday, Macron announced that the G7 would "immediately send to the Amazon countries... financial support worth at least about 20 million euros." </s> BRASILIA/PORTO VELHO, Brazil (Reuters) - Brazil said on Tuesday it was ready to accept foreign aid to help fight fires in the Amazon but only if it could determine how it was spent, in an apparent attempt to smooth over a public spat between the Brazilian and French presidents.

The comments by presidential spokesman Rego Barros came after governors of states in the Brazilian Amazon told President Jair Bolsonaro that they needed the money to help fight the record wildfires in the world’s largest tropical rainforest.

“The Brazilian government, through its president, is open to receiving financial support from organizations and countries. This money, when it enters the country, will have the total governance of the Brazilian people,” Barros said.

Separately, a diplomatic source in Brasilia told Reuters the Brazilian government had also accepted 10 million pounds from Britain to fight the fires. Bolsonaro’s press office was not immediately available to comment on the information.

Earlier on Tuesday, Bolsonaro had said he would only consider accepting a $20 million offer of aid from the Group of Seven wealthy nations if French President Emmanuel Macron withdrew the “insults” against him.

Bolsonaro and Macron have been embroiled in a deeply personal and public war of words in recent days, with Bolsonaro mocking Macron’s wife and accusing the French leader of disrespecting Brazil’s sovereignty. Macron has called Bolsonaro a liar and said Brazilian women are “probably ashamed” of him.

The office for the French president declined to comment.

Brazil’s president is finding himself increasingly isolated on the global stage over his response to the blazes, which threaten what many view as a key bulwark against global climate change.

The far-right government’s response could threaten Brazil’s trade deals and powerful agribusiness sector, which is a crucial driver of its recession-plagued economy.

“We think that it’s not the moment to turn down money,” Flávio Dino, the governor of Maranhao state, told reporters after a meeting in which Bolsonaro pledged to agree on a package of legislative measures with the states by Sept. 5 to help prevent the surge in forest fires happening again.

“The anti-environment rhetoric could expose Brazil to international sanctions,” Dino said.

The number of blazes in Brazil has skyrocketed 80% in the year to date compared to the same period in 2018, according to data from space research agency INPE.

About 90 km (55 miles) from Porto Velho, in the Amazon state of Rondonia, a Reuters witness saw houses abandoned due to the fierce forest fires. There were isolated patches of rain on Tuesday, but not enough to put out the fires, he said.

Widespread rain that could snuff the fires out are likely weeks away, according to weather data and two experts.

A local farmer, who declined to give his name, said he expected the fires to worsen next week when the forest is usually at its driest.

G7 leaders pledged the $20 million after discussing the fires ravaging an area often dubbed “the lungs of the world”.

The offer, which was made at a summit in France on Monday, has stirred up emotions within Bolsonaro’s nationalist government. Some officials are grateful for the much-needed help, and others view it as a colonial gesture that undermines Brazil’s control of its lands.

Bolsonaro raised Macron’s ire on Sunday when the Brazilian leader responded to a Facebook post that compared the looks of his wife Michelle, 37, with Macron’s 66-year-old wife Brigitte. “Do not humiliate the man hahahah,” Bolsonaro wrote.

Macron, who has accused Bolsonaro of lying about climate change policy, called the remarks “extremely disrespectful” to his wife.

On Tuesday morning, Bolsonaro said he would only countenance accepting G7 money if Macron retracted his earlier comments.

“First of all, Macron has to withdraw his insults. He called me a liar. Before we talk or accept anything from France ... he must withdraw these words then we can talk,” Bolsonaro told reporters in Brasilia. “First he withdraws, then offers (aid), then I will answer.”

Barros, the president’s official spokesman, told reporters later that Brazil was open to accepting international aid if it could decide how the money is spent.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday tweeted his support for Bolsonaro, an ideological ally on the environment, China and trade.

The Brazilian president “is working very hard on the Amazon fires and in all respects doing a great job for the people of Brazil - Not easy. He and his country have the full and complete support of the USA!” Trump tweeted.

Bolsonaro responded, also on Twitter: “We’re fighting the wildfires with great success. Brazil is and will always be an international reference in sustainable development.”

The fires are not limited to Brazil, with at least 10,000 sq km (about 3,800 sq miles) burning in Bolivia, near its border with Paraguay and Brazil.

Neighbors Peru and Colombia on Tuesday asked Bolsonaro to attend a meeting on Sept. 6 to discuss the disaster and come up with a long-term coordinated plan to stop deforestation.

Norway’s environment minister on Tuesday urged representatives of oil firm Equinor, fertilizer-maker Yara and aluminium producer Norsk Hydro to make sure their supply chains in Brazil are not linked to deforestation. </s> The Group of Seven nations on Monday pledged tens of millions of dollars to help Amazon countries fight raging wildfires, even as Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro accused rich countries of treating the region like a "colony."

The pledge by rich countries included $20 million from the G-7 and a separate $11 million from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Canada has also offered to send firefighting planes to Brazil.

The funds were widely seen as a relatively small amount for dealing with an environmental crisis of such scale, and it was unclear how exactly the money would be administered on the ground. Brazil's environment minister, Ricardo Salles, said the aid was welcome and that Brazil should decide how the resources are used.

The international pledges came despite tensions between European countries and the Brazilian president, who suggested the West was angling to exploit Brazil's natural resources.

"Look, does anyone help anyone ... without something in return? What have they wanted there for so long?" he said to journalists outside the presidential palace.

Bolsonaro has insulted adversaries and allies, disparaged women, black and gay people, and even praised his country's 1964-1985 dictatorship. But nothing has rallied more anger at home and criticism from abroad than his response to the fires raging in parts of the Amazon region.

The populist Brazilian leader initially questioned whether activist groups might have started the fires in an effort to damage the credibility of his government. Bolsonaro has called for looser environmental regulations in the world's largest rainforest to spur development.

In response, European leaders threatened to block a major trade deal with Brazil that would benefit the very agricultural interests accused of driving deforestation.

The impact of the fires and smoke has disrupted life for many in the Amazon region. The airport in Porto Velho, the capital of Rondonia state, was closed for more than an hour Monday morning because of poor visibility. On Sunday, a soccer match of a lower-tier national league was briefly suspended because of smoke in Rio Branco, capital of Acre state, as fire burned in a field outside the stadium.

In Para state, where fires have swept many areas, resident Moacir Cordeiro said he was worried about their impact on nature and his health. Smoke rose from nearby trees as he spoke.

"I don't think there are enough people to extinguish the fires," said Cordeiro, who lives in the Alvorada da Amazonia region. He said it was difficult to breath at night because of the smoke.

Another man, Antonio de Jesus, was also worried.

"Nature shouldn't be killed off like that," he said.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday continued his feud with Bolsonaro, who has endorsed a Facebook post insulting Macron's wife. Macron accused the Brazilian leader of skipping a scheduled meeting with the French foreign minister in favor of a barber appointment and reiterated that Bolsonaro had lied to him.

"It's sad. First for him and for the Brazilians," Macron said.

Brazilian women "are doubtless ashamed to read that about their president" he said, adding that he hoped the country would soon have a president who could behave according to the standards of the office.

Bolsonaro, in turn, referred to Macron's "ludicrous and unnecessary attacks on the Amazon" and accused the French leader of treating the region "as if we were a colony."

Thousands of people have demonstrated in cities across Brazil and outside Brazilian embassies around the world. #PrayforAmazonia has become a worldwide trending topic.

Bolsonaro has announced he would send 44,000 soldiers to help battle the blazes, which mostly seem to be charring land deforested, perhaps illegally, for farming and ranching rather than burning through stands of trees.

The move was welcomed by many critics, but some say it's not enough and comes too late.

In violating environmental agreements, Brazil has been discredited and "unable to exercise any type of leadership on the international stage," said Mauricio Santoro, an international relations professor at Rio de Janeiro State University.

Brazilian military planes began dumping water on fires in the Amazon state of Rondonia over the weekend, and a few hundred of the promised troops were deployed into the fire zone. But many Brazilians again took to the streets in Rio de Janeiro and other cities Sunday to demand the administration do more.

Critics say the large number of fires this year has been stoked by Bolsonaro's encouragement of farmers, loggers and ranchers to speed efforts to strip away forest. Although he has now vowed to protect the area, they say it is only out of fear of a diplomatic crisis and economic losses.

Meeting at a summit in France, the G-7 leaders announced they have agreed to an immediate $20 million fund to help Amazon countries fight wildfires and launch a long-term global initiative to protect the rainforest.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said her country and others will talk with Brazil about reforestation in the Amazon once the fires have been extinguished.

Even so, Germany and Norway recently cut tens of millions of dollars in donations to Brazilian forestry projects, saying Bolsonaro's administration isn't committed to curbing deforestation.

Fires are common during Brazil's dry season, but the numbers surged this year. The country's National Space Research Institute, which monitors deforestation, has recorded more than 77,000 wildfires in Brazil this year, a record since the institute began keeping track in 2013. That is an 85% rise over last year, and about half of the fires have been in the Amazon region — with more than half of those coming just in the past month.

"The government created a sense of impunity among farmers who were willing to commit illegal acts to deforest," said Rómulo Batista, a member of Greenpeace Brazil's Amazonia Campaign.

Batista said plant and animal species are under threat, people living in the Amazon region are suffering respiratory problems and "the rise in deforestation can completely alter the rain patterns by region and devastate agriculture, even in South America."

Brazil's federal police agency announced Sunday that it would investigate reports that farmers in Para state had called for "a day of fire" on Aug. 10 to ignite fires. Local media said a group organized the action over WhatsApp to show support for Bolsonaro's efforts to loosen environmental regulations.

Associated Press journalists Anna Kaiser in Rio de Janeiro, Leo Correa in Alvorada da Amazonia, Brazil, Frances D'Emilio in Rome, Sylvie Corbet and Lori Hinnant in Biarritz, France, and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report. </s> PORTO VELHO, Brazil (AP) — The Group of Seven nations on Monday pledged tens of millions of dollars to help fight raging wildfires in the Amazon and protect its rainforest, even as Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro accused rich countries of treating the region like a “colony.”

The international pledges at a G-7 summit in France included $20 million from the group, as well as a separate $12 million from Britain and $11 million from Canada. Ottawa has also offered to send firefighting planes to Brazil.

Other groups are contributing support for a region whose rainforests are a major absorber of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Earth Alliance, a new environmental foundation backed by Leonardo DiCaprio, is pledging $5 million in aid, saying the Amazon is one of the “best defenses” against climate change.

The funds are widely seen as critical support, but a relatively small amount for dealing with an environmental crisis of such scale threatening what French President Emmanuel Macron called “the lungs of the planet.”

More than $1 billion, for example, has been paid into a fund to help the Amazon in the past decade. And major donors Germany and Norway recently cut donations to Brazilian forestry projects, saying Bolsonaro’s administration isn’t committed to curbing deforestation.

It was unclear how exactly the new money would be administered. Bureaucracy can slow and reduce the amount that reaches programs in the field. Brazil’s environment minister, Ricardo Salles, said the aid was welcome and that Brazil should decide how the resources are used.

More global funding and political will in Brazil will be needed once the fires are extinguished, said John Robinson, chief conservation officer at the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Brazil needs “legislation and regulations that set clear limits preventing landowners — especially large ones — from burning the forest and converting it to agriculture and rangeland, backed by incentives and investment in alternatives,” Robinson said.

The international pledges came despite tensions between European countries and the Brazilian president, who suggested the West was angling to exploit Brazil’s natural resources.

“Look, does anyone help anyone ... without something in return? What have they wanted there for so long?” Bolsonaro said.

Bolsonaro has insulted adversaries and allies, disparaged women, black and gay people, and praised his country’s 1964-1985 dictatorship. But nothing has rallied more anger at home and criticism from abroad than his response to the fires in parts of the Amazon region.

The Brazilian leader says he is committed to protecting the Amazon and prosecuting anyone involved in illegal fires, many of which appear to be to have been set in already deforested areas to clear land for farming.

But Bolsonaro initially questioned whether activist groups might have started the fires in an effort to damage the credibility of his government, which has called for looser environmental regulations in the world’s largest rainforest to spur development.

“We believe that there are many mining companies and lumber companies and farmers who feel that the president has their backs,” said Raoni Metuktire, a Brazilian indigenous chief and environmentalist who traveled to the G-7 summit in Biarritz.

In response, European leaders threatened to block a major trade deal with Brazil that would benefit the very agricultural interests accused of driving deforestation.

The impact of the fires and smoke has disrupted life for many in the Amazon region. The airport in Porto Velho, the capital of Rondonia state, was closed for more than an hour Monday morning because of poor visibility. On Sunday, a soccer match of a lower-tier national league was briefly suspended because of smoke in Rio Branco, capital of Acre state, as fire burned in a field outside the stadium.

In Para state, where fires have swept many areas, resident Moacir Cordeiro said he was worried about their impact on nature and his health. Smoke rose from nearby trees as he spoke.

“I don’t think there are enough people to extinguish the fires,” said Cordeiro, who lives in the Alvorada da Amazonia region. He said it was difficult to breath at night because of the smoke.

Another man, Antonio de Jesus, was also worried.

“Nature shouldn’t be killed off like that,” he said.

Macron said the Amazon, while mostly Brazilian, is a world issue and that his message to Bolsonaro is: “We cannot allow you to destroy everything.”

Brazil’s sovereignty must be respected, Macron said, but the world can help Brazil reforest and build its economy “while respecting the natural balance.”

About 60 percent of the Amazon region is in Brazil; the vast forest also spans parts of Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru and Suriname.

Speaking on French TV after hosting the G-7 summit, Macron acknowledged that Europe, by importing soya from Brazil, shares some blame for the agricultural pressure on the rainforest.

He added that Europe’s dependence on imported proteins, including soya, for animal feed is “a very bad choice” and that he wants Europe to develop alternate sources of protein.

Bolsonaro has accused Macron of treating the region “as if we were a colony.”

Bolsonaro has announced he would send 44,000 soldiers to help battle the blazes, and military planes began dumping water on fires in the Amazon state of Rondonia.

The move was welcomed by many critics, but some say it’s not enough and comes too late.

In violating environmental agreements, Brazil has been discredited and “unable to exercise any type of leadership on the international stage,” said Mauricio Santoro, an international relations professor at Rio de Janeiro State University.

Critics say the large number of fires this year has been stoked by Bolsonaro’s encouragement of farmers, loggers and ranchers to speed efforts to strip away forest. Although Bolsonaro has now vowed to protect the area, they say it is only out of fear of a diplomatic crisis and economic losses.

Fires are common during Brazil’s dry season, but the numbers surged this year. The country’s National Space Research Institute, which monitors deforestation, has recorded more than 77,000 wildfires in Brazil this year, a record since the institute began keeping track in 2013. That is an 85% rise over last year, and about half of the fires have been in the Amazon region — with more than half of those coming just in the past month.

Rómulo Batista, a member of Greenpeace Brazil’s Amazonia Campaign, said “the rise in deforestation can completely alter the rain patterns by region and devastate agriculture, even in South America.”

Brazil’s federal police agency announced that it would investigate reports that farmers in Para state had called for “a day of fire” on Aug. 10 to ignite fires. Local media said a group organized the action over WhatsApp to show support for Bolsonaro’s efforts to loosen environmental regulations.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro announces all Amazon-region nations except Venezuela will meet to discuss a coordinated response to the disaster. He also reiterates rejection of G7 money to assist the efforts unless French President Emmanuel Macron issues him an apology, but after meeting with Chilean President Sebastián Piñera accepts an offer of four firefighting aircraft from Chile.