Dilma Rousseff, newly elected president of Brazil as of last week. She is already taking a stand for the woman Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani who was convicted of adultery in Iran and sentenced to death by stoning in 2006. Rousseff stated that it would be a “barbaric” act to execute a woman for adultery. Brazilian officials offered to take the woman into Brazil as a citizen if Iran would spare her life. The offer was rejected. Brazil was trying to use the friendly ties with Iran to influence the case in the convicted woman’s favor.
As for the environment, it doesn’t look like the newly elected female president will take action for the environment including deforestation and carbon reducing emissions. “Rousseff had privately resisted Brazil's decision to present voluntary carbon reduction targets at the UN climate talks in Copenhagen last December.”
Arguably, Rousseff had to win the votes of the 20% of green party voters that supported Ms.Silva for environmental reasons. Silva was a third party in the race to president placing much promise in saving the Amazon from deforestation and carbon reducing industry. Carlos Minc, Ms Silva successor as environment minister, was sent to try and save Rousseff’s face by saying. “I’m not saying Dilma is a card-carrying environmentalist,” Mr Minc told Estado de São Paulo, a newspaper. “She’s pro-development, but pro-development with environmental sensitivity.” He has been authorized by Rousseff to promise a variety of green-friendly policies, including lower taxes on equipment for solar- and wind-power generation and a review of a proposed amnesty for illegal logging.
Only time will tell for the decisions regarding the Amazon from this first time woman president who is so passionate for women’s rights and is pro-development.
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