Climate deal pledge Uturn

RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil’s presidential frontrunner said yesterday he would not leave the Paris climate accord if elected, going back on a earlier pledge to follow the pullout by US President Donald Trump, a role model for his antiestablishment run.

Rightwing Congressman Jair Bolsonaro’s decision marks a surprising aboutface for a candidate who enjoys strong support from Brazil’s powerful agribusiness lobby and has called conservation efforts a threat to Brazilian sovereignty.

Speaking at a news conference in Rio de Janeiro, Bolsonaro also said he wanted to work with the United Nations to deal with a large influx of Venezuelan refugees in Brazil’s north. He said he did not want conflict with the neighbouring country, whose socialist government he has repeatedly criticised.

Brazil’s most polarised election in a generation has stirred political violence and threats against journalists, while Bolsonaro’s policy pledges have raised alarm among many, including environmentalists.

But Bolsonaro has been adopting a more moderate tone as he nears an increasingly likely victory in Monday’s runoff election against leftist rival Fernando Haddad.

His lead narrowed in a Datafolha opinion poll released yesterday, but he still has a commanding 56% of the vote to Haddad’s 44%. — Reuters