Preparations for the large-scale UN climate summit COP30 in Belém, Brazil, are under threat due to internal crises – bloody police raids in Rio de Janeiro and growing tensions around Venezuela, international media report, writes UNN with reference to Bloomberg.
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Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who planned to use the summit as an opportunity to showcase the country's efforts in combating climate change and protecting the Amazon, is now forced to respond to internal instability.
Last week, Rio saw the deadliest police operation in the country's history, resulting in at least 121 deaths. Lula called for an independent investigation into these events, emphasizing that "violence cannot be the solution to the problem of crime."
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In parallel, the government is preparing for a diplomatic crisis caused by Donald Trump's statements about possible military intervention in Venezuela. Because of this, the president plans to temporarily leave COP30 to visit Colombia for consultations with regional leaders.
Despite the expected participation of European leaders – including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez – the summit already risks becoming a disappointment for Brazil.
Neither Xi Jinping nor Donald Trump will be there, and other countries' promises to finance a fund for the protection of the world's forests remain uncertain.
The COP30 summit was supposed to be the culmination of Lula's green agenda, but the chaos in Rio and tensions in Venezuela could deprive him of the expected international triumph.
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