Thursday, August 22nd 2019, 7:09 am
Images are coming out of Brazil Thursday morning as a massive wildfire roars through parts of the Amazon.
Brazil's President is blaming non-government organizations for setting the fires but has not provided any evidence to back those claims.
Brazil's National Institute for Space Research, which monitors wildfires, says there's been a record number of wildfires this year, nearly 75,000, which is an 84 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
Now, the president of Brazil is arguing the NGO's are trying to create instability in the region, and hurt his administration after he slashed their funding.
Climate activists say that's a lie.
They point to his administration's dismantling of the rain forest's protections and insist farmers clearing land are responsible for the uptick in fires.
One protestor called the president's speech "very irresponsible" and said he needs to prove what he's saying.
Wednesday, "Pray for Amazonia" was the world's top-trending topic on twitter, as millions took to social media to share concerns over the rain forest's future.
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