President Jair Bolsonaro is blaming the indigenous community for the fires that raged in the Amazon. The fires set off international outrage as the rainforest faced unprecedented destruction by out of control fires. President Bolsonaro went against the rest of the international community during a speech to the U.N.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro wants the United Nations to know that indigenous people were responsible for the Amazon fires.

Jair Bolsonaro says 'deceitful' media hyping Amazon wildfires https://t.co/n5pQjXrZje

— Fernando Rocha (@fernandorocha26) September 24, 2020

In a remote session opening the U.N. General Assembly, President Bolsonaro spoke at length about the indigenous communities starting the fires. He also used the speech to speak out against the criticism his administration is receiving over his environmental policies and his response to Covid. Brazil is currently the second most infected country in the world with the second highest death rate.

The Amazon has experienced increased fires since President Bolsonaro took office.

The Amazon has seen a 7% increase in the number of fires in the first 6 days of August 2020 than in the same period last year, a grave concern for activists who say right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro’s economic agenda endangers the rainforest pic.twitter.com/pGlrI8GVzd

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) August 10, 2020

For the first seven months of 2020, 13,000 sq. km. (5,019 sq. miles) of the Brazilian rainforest have burned. This year saw the second-highest level of fires on a global scale with fires raging across the Amazon, Australia, and the West Coast of the U.S.

President Bolsonaro openly contradicted expert findings to fit his narrative.

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Discurso de abertura da 75⁰ Assembléia Geral da ONU. . Link em nosso canal no YouTube: https://youtu.be/-Gmn5kywzqc

A post shared by Jair M. Bolsonaro (@jairmessiasbolsonaro) on Sep 22, 2020 at 10:51am PDT

President Bolsonaro claims that the humidity of the forest contains the fires. According to President Bolsonaro’s speech, fires in the Amazon only happen in certain areas because of how well the humidity can keep the fires in check.

“The fires practically occur in the same places, on the east side of the forest, where peasants and Indians burn their fields in already deforested areas,” Bolsonaro said.

President Bolsonaro’s speech touches on the environmental record his administration is known for.

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– O Representante Comercial dos EUA (USTR) comunicou hoje ao Chanceler @ernesto.araujo.mre que o Brasil receberá uma quota adicional de 80 mil toneladas de açúcar no mercado americano. – Trata-se já do primeiro resultado das recém-abertas negociações Brasil-EUA para o setor de açúcar e álcool, conduzidas no Brasil pelo @itamaratygovbr e nos EUA pelo USTR. – A quota para o açúcar brasileiro nos EUA passa de 230 para 310 mil toneladas e, por lei, beneficiará exclusivamente os produtores do Nordeste.

A post shared by Jair M. Bolsonaro (@jairmessiasbolsonaro) on Sep 21, 2020 at 12:34pm PDT

The Bolsonaro administration has made dismantling environmental and indigenous rights since taking power. The administration has worked to limit the amount of land available to indigenous people and to open up Amazonian rainforest to miners, loggers, farmers, developers, and other uses that are damaging and contributing to the fires. Deforestation by these industries are largely to blame for the out-of-control wildfires that burned for a very long time in the Brazilian Amazon.

Activists are getting ready to fight for the indigenous community and the rainforest.

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT – Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro plays down the Amazon fires, says the country preserves the environment the most pic.twitter.com/ttwIOAKcLi

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 18, 2020

“We must denounce this political catastrophe that destroys the environment and our future,” Sonia Guajajara, head of Brazil’s main Indigenous umbrella organization, to NBC News.

READ: Under Bolsonaro, The Brazilian Amazon Has Reached Record-Breaking Levels Of Deforestation

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Netflix has a new food show out and it has everyone buzzing. “Street Food: Latin America” is bringing everyone the sabor of Latin America to their living room. However, reviews are mixed because of Argentina and the lack of Central American representation.

Netflix has a new show and it is all about Latin American street food.

If you need something to watch, Netflix just dropped a show on latin america street food from Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Mexico, Bolivia AND Argentina. AND I’m ALL for it. pic.twitter.com/NePzucRSnb

— danny 🇨🇴 (@d_annyc) July 21, 2020

Some of the best food in the world comes from Latin America. That is just a fact and it isn’t because our families and community come for Latin America. Okay, maybe just a little. The food of Latin America comes with history and stories that have shaped our childhood. For many of us, it is the only thing we have that connects us to the lands our families have left.

The show is highlighting the contributions of women to street food.

Street Food: Latin America on Netflix is so beautiful – the way they captured the stories of women in the smallest corners of different cities in such a beautiful way from the insight they share about their personal struggles to the images of their home/restaurants!!!

— dlvpz (@dlvpz) July 22, 2020

“Street Food: Latin America” focuses mainly on the women that are leading the street food cultures in different countries in Latin America. For some of them, it was a chance to bring themselves out of poverty and care for their children. For others, it was a rebellion against the male-dominated culture of cooking in Latin America.

However, some people have some strong opinions about the show and they aren’t good.

Started watching “Street Food: Latin America” and the FIRST THING THEY SAY in the Argentina episode is:

We’re closer to Europe than Latin America… pic.twitter.com/hddji0nTxC

— DJ KA5 (kas) (@DJ_KA5) July 26, 2020

There is a lot of attention to native communities in the Latino community culturally right now. The Argentina episode where someone claims that Argentina is more European is rubbing people the wrong way right now. While the native population of Argentina is small, it is still important to highlight and honor native communities who are indigenous to the lands.

The disregard for the indigenous community is upsetting because indigenous Argentinians are fighting for their lives and land.

Watching Street Food: Latin America and hearing an Argentinian chef proudly say that Argentina doesn’t have native people + glorifying their resemblance to Europe doesn’t sit right with my spirit.

— sin vergüenza. (@SinByDefault) July 21, 2020

An A Jazeera report focused on an indigenous community in northern Argentina who were fighting to protect their land. After decades of discrimination and humiliation, members of the Wichi community fought to protect their land from the Argentinian government grabbing it in 2017. Early this year, before Covid, children of the tribe started to die at alarming rates of malnutrition.

Another pain point in the Latino community is the complete disregard of Central America.

A lil disappointed, yet not surprised, ALL of Central America was not included in Street Food’s Latin America season. I was so excited. Like they really didn’t include any Central American country🥴

— DEFUND THE POLICE (@woahjaz) July 24, 2020

Central America includes Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Belize, and Panama. Central America’s exclusion is not sitting right with Netflix users with Central American heritage. Like, how can five whole countries be looked over during a Netflix show about street food in Latin America?

Seems like there is a chance for Netflix to revisit Latin America for more food content.

I’ll watch Street Food: Latin America when they decide to dedicate an episode to Centeral America. Until then, hard pass.

— illz (@_locaaxo) July 26, 2020

There are so many countries in Latin America that offer delicious foods to the world. There is more to Latin America than Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Colombia, and Bolivia.

READ: This Iconic Mexican Food Won The Twitter Battle To Be Named Latin America’s Best Street Food

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