Greta Thunberg has a subtle response Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro's insult

Youth climate activist Greta Thunberg has in a subtle way trolled Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, something that's winning her praise on social media. Bolsonaro, a far-right leader who rose to power championing climate sceptic views, had branded Thunberg a 'pirralha', the Portuguese word for “brat” in response to the latter's condemnation of the killings of indigenous tribals in the Brazilian Amazon. Thunberg hit back by simply changing her Twitter bio on Tuesday to contain only the Portuguese slur.

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Thunberg tweets on indigenous plight

In a tweet on Sunday, Greta Thunberg had called out Brazil for the reported attacks on Guajajara tribe members who are on the front lines of a fight against illegal loggers and miners. Two tribals were gruesomely killed and two others injured on Saturday after bullets were sprayed from a car window as their group walked along a federal highway in the Cana Brava indigenous reservation in Brazil’s Maranhão state. Such reports have been increasingly surfacing across the Amazon which allegations of tacit state backing.

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Bolsonaro's response

When asked about the killings, Bolsonaro seemed to forget the Thunberg’s name before telling reporters, “Greta’s been saying Indians have died because they were defending the Amazon. It’s amazing how much space the media gives this kind of pirralha.” The shooting came a day after Brazilian indigenous leader Sonia Guajajara addressed world leaders at the UN’s two-week climate conference (COP25), and attempted to draw global attention to the assassination of Brazil’s “forest guardians”.

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In the pockets of lobby groups

Bolsonaro has been accused of stoking anti-indigenous sentiments in Brazil. Throughout his election campaign in 2018, the former army captain has championed the cause to open up the vast Brazillian Amazon to commercial exploitation. He has been backed by powerful agro-business lobby groups that wish to expand the cultivation of cash crops and loggers (mostly illegal) wanting to exploit the woods. Mining and oil companies also want more freed up forest land to exploit vast mineral and hydrocarbon resources under the surface.

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(With inputs from agencies)