Washington: President Joe Biden will make history as the first sitting US president to visit the Brazilian Amazon, a move symbolising his administration’s climate priorities amid an impending shift under President-elect Donald Trump.
Biden will travel to Manaus, a major city in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, as part of his South American tour of Brazil and Peru from November 14 to 19.
The White House confirmed Biden’s visit to Manaus, where he will meet with local and indigenous leaders dedicated to preserving the Amazon, a crucial ecosystem in the fight against climate change.
The vast Amazon forests absorb significant amounts of carbon dioxide, making its protection critical to global climate efforts. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has committed to halting deforestation in the Amazon by 2030.
The visit precedes Biden’s attendance at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, where he will meet with Lula to discuss shared climate goals. Last year, Biden promised to seek $500 million in US support for Brazil’s Amazon Fund, reflecting strong alignment between the two leaders on environmental policy.
However, with Trump set to assume office in January, significant shifts in US climate policy are expected. Trump, who has labelled climate change a “hoax,” has announced plans to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement and pursue policies similar to Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro, who weakened environmental protections.
Lula recently congratulated Trump on his election victory while underscoring the importance of international cooperation. Biden’s visit to the Amazon follows French President Emmanuel Macron’s trip in March and comes as Brazil prepares to host the COP30 climate summit in Belem next year.
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