[G.K Zhukov]

Originally Posted by dda

1. Most of the destruction of the rain forest in South America is caused by slash and burn agriculture in the Amazon basin. Areas are burned off to create new places to farm on a subsitance level. It is done by indigenous peoples who don't care that the fires, once started burn over huge areas. They have their new fields. They do not do this at the request of the US.

Sorry, but your mostly wrong here.
The indigenous people are not growing in numbers, rather declining.

It's the poor brazilians, having no land of their own, who's the worst offenders. Driven by extreme poverty, they are moving into new areas.
Also there is also wealthier people who uses the Amazonas as a source for cheap wood or large plantations.

As USA have f***** up South America for decades*, the USA have a responsibility for the ammount of poor people and the lack of strong states. And therefore, a certain resposibility for the deforestation of Amazonas.

* Not only Chile, Guatemala, El Salvador, Argentina etc, but also Brazill.