South American presidents launch appeal for AmazonAFP, SHARM EL-SHEIKH, EgyptThe presidents of Colombia and Venezuela on Tuesday launched a call at the COP27 climate summit for a wide-ranging alliance to protect the Amazon, the planet’s biggest tropical forest. “We are determined to revitalize the Amazon rainforest ... to offer humanity a significant victory in the battle against climate change,” Colombian President Gustavo Petro said at the UN summit in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. Lula faces an immense challenge in putting a brake on Amazon deforestation. He urged solidarity from international organizations, at a time when the COP has put the issue of compensation for climate change effects on its agenda. “One of the subjects which could bring consensus between us, Africa and part of Asia is [a mechanism for] forgiveness of [national] debt as a means of financing action” against climate change, Petro said.
