Weekly Report - 01 June 2023 (WR-23-22)

A proposed oil exploration project of Brazil’s state-owned oil company Petrobras to drill a well off the coast of the northern state of Amapá has been blocked by Brazil’s federal environmental enforcement agency (Ibama) – a decision which Petrobras appealed on 25 May. The proposed oil exploration licence is exposing internal tensions within the federal government led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, with some pushing to protect sensitive marine ecosystems, while others back oil extraction to drive economic development.