FILE- In this April 5, 2019 file photo, Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro smiles during a military promotion ceremony at the Planate Presidential Palace, in Brasilia, Brazil. New York mayor Bill de Blasio and some staff members of the American Museum of Natural History don't want Bolsonaro to be honored by the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce that rented space there in May 2019 for its annual gala because Bolsonaro favors mining in Brazil's Amazon rain forest, as well as logging and fossil fuel exploration. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres, File)
Republished April 13, 2019 - 6:00 PM
Original Publication Date April 13, 2019 - 3:31 PM
NEW YORK - The president of Brazil may not be a welcome guest in New York — at least, not at one event.
President Jair Bolsonaro is to be honoured at the American Museum of Natural History in May, invited by the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce that rented space there for its annual gala.
Mayor Bill de Blasio and some museum staff members are demanding he stay away because Bolsonaro favours mining in Brazil's Amazon rainforest, as well as logging and fossil fuel exploration. Opponents say the New York scientific institution dedicated to preserving nature should not allow such a politician to appear there.
The museum on Manhattan's West Side had agreed to the dinner booking before the New York-based Brazilian business organization invited Bolsonaro.
Given the space-leasing contract, the museum said in a tweet that it is "deeply concerned" and exploring its legal options.
Speaking on WNYC radio Friday, the New York mayor called Bolsonaro "a very dangerous human being because, unfortunately, he is the person with the most ability to impact what happens to the Amazon going forward."
In a statement, the museum said the event "does not in any way reflect the museum's position that there is an urgent need to conserve the Amazon rainforest, which has such profound implications for biological diversity, indigenous communities, climate change, and the future health of our planet."
The Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce could not immediately be reached for comment.
News from © The Associated Press, 2019