Minister of Mines and Energy said it was ignored in order to treat the equatorial margin; Marina denies a stalemate in the government
The Minister of, (Network), countered the statement of the Minister of Mines and Energy, (PSD), which “Not having received any answer” (Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) when requesting a meeting on the license for Petrobras to explore the equatorial margin.
She explained that the hearing request was initially made only for Ibama President Rodrigo Agostinho, but then Minister Silveira decided to include her. However, Marina was traveling to India and participating in environmental conferences.
“It is an audience request that was initially made only for the president of Ibama. Then there was a reassessment by Minister Silveira that it would be more appropriate to ask for an audience with my presence, and I was traveling. Everyone knows I went to India and had an agenda of national environmental conferences.”said Marina on Friday (21.mar.2025), in conversations with journalists after the Amazon Restaurante.
The minister denied that there is an impasse within the government between sectors that advocate oil exploration. According to her, Ibama follows technical criteria for granting licenses and does not interfere with the strategic decisions of the country.
“Ibama is up to the environmental viability of the enterprise. It is not the one who decides which strategic projects for infrastructure or energy matrix. It analyzes projects from the point of view of licensing quality.”said Marina.
The equatorial margin, which extends from Amapá to Rio Grande do Norte, is considered a promising area for oil production. While environmentalists warn of biodiversity risks, the government assesses the economic potential of exploitation. Petrobras awaits release to start work in the region.
