Brazilian Environment Minister Ricardo Salles resigns amid Amazon illegal logging probe
CNN
Brazil's controversial environment minister, Ricardo Salles, announced Wednesday that he was stepping down from the position amid an investigation into allegations he obstructed a police probe into illegal logging.
Salles' term as minister since 2019 has been marked by high deforestation rates in the Amazon rainforest and a series of investigations into alleged irregularities, which led to mounting public pressure for him to resign. "I understand that Brazil, throughout this year and the next year, in terms of international insertion and also on the national agenda, needs to have a very strong union of interests, desires and efforts," Salles said in a news conference Wednesday. "And for this to be done as smoothly as possible, I presented my request for resignation to the President, which was granted."
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