Activists from Greenpeace UK formed a standing exhibition outside the Home Office in London this lunchtime as Brazil’s Environment Minister, Ricardo Salles, met UK Environment Secretary, Theresa Villiers.

Fourteen activists held A1-sized images of this year’s Amazon fires, which are still burning across Brazil, as well as banners reading “SAVE THE AMAZON” and “DEFEND INDIGENOUS RIGHTS”.

Richard George, Head of Forests at Greenpeace UK, said:
“It’s utterly shameful that the government has rolled out the red carpet for a man who is literally letting the most biodiverse terrestrial ecosystem burn to the ground. Putting Salles in charge of Brazilian environmental policies is like giving a pyromaniac a box of matches.”

Salles, who is visiting London as part of his European tour, has already been greeted by protests in France and Germany, as well as protesters in the US where he met with the climate change denying think tank the Competitive Enterprise Institute.

A leaked copy of Salles’ agenda showed he is scheduled to meet with companies with mining and fossil fuel interests, as well as people from the financial and pharmaceuticals sectors, raising serious questions over the motives for his visit.