Who is Jair Bolsonaro’s wife Michelle and what has she said about the Amazon rainforest fires?
MICHELLE Bolsonaro is the third and current wife of Brazil's far-right President, Jair Bolsonaro.
Here's what we know about the Brazilian former congressional secretary...
Who is Michelle Bolsonaro?
Michelle de Paula Firmo Reinaldo Bolsonaro is a Brazilian former congressional secretary who became the country's first lady at the start of 2019.
While working in Congress, President Jair Bolsonaro hired 37-year-old Michelle as a secretary, giving her unusual promotions and tripling her salary in the space of two years.
He was forced to fire her after Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court ruled that nepotism is illegal in the public administration.
The couple married in 2007 and live in Barra da Tijuca, a wealthy neighbourhood in the city of Rio de Janeiro.
Bolsonaro has been married three times and has five children (four sons and a daughter).
Who is Jair Bolsonaro?
Jair Messias Bolsonaro is President of Brazil and a former military officer from Sao Paulo.
The 64-year-old, who is of Italian descent, is largely seen as a controversial figure in the country, and is known for his populist views.
He ran as the PSL (Social Liberal Party) presidential candidate for the 2018 Brazilian presidential election.
Known as “Brazilian Trump”, he is notorious for making racist, sexist and homophobic comments, and is pro-gun.
Prior to a career in politics, Bolsonaro was a member of the country’s military, briefly serving in the army's parachutist units.
He came to power on January 1, 2019.
What have the Bolsonaros said about the Amazon rainforest fires?
President Bolsonaro has repeatedly attacked environmental groups, saying they are obstacles in his quest to develop the country's full economic potential, including in protected areas.
Bolsonaro and Environment Minister Ricardo Salles are both close to the powerful rural caucus in Congress and have been urging more development and economic opportunities in the Amazon region, which they consider overly protected by current legislation.
The government is also facing international pressure to protect the vast rainforest from illegal logging or mining activities.
The president told a steel industry congress in Brasilia: “On the question of burning in the Amazon, which in my opinion may have been initiated by NGOs because they lost money, what is the intention? To bring problems to Brazil.”
His wife Michelle has remained quiet on the subject.
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The Amazon is often referred to as the lungs of our planet because trees in the giant river basin produce around a fifth of the oxygen we breathe.
The jungle is also a major absorber of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
He has come under fire for rejecting an £18million offer of help from the G7.
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