Lula cancels trip to Chile amid historic flooding in Brazil
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has canceled a state visit to Chile due to historic floods in Brazil.
Since the beginning of the month, Brazil has experienced torrential rains in its southern region, leaving towns in Porto Alegre, the state capital of Rio Grande do Sul, under water.
Approximately two million people have been impacted by the floods, which have forced over 600,000 to flee from their homes. Lula has pledged aid to the impacted populations and has begun coordinating reconstruction efforts; state Governor Eduardo Leite insists that a multimillion-dollar effort is needed to rebuild the region.
As experts continue monitoring the situation, they expect the flooding to worsen in the coming days, following a pattern of record temperatures, dire droughts, and heat waves that Latin America has experienced in the past year. Many attribute the drastic weather to climate change and the El Nino weather phenomenon. Drastic weather patterns will likely lead to an increase in climate-induced migration throughout Brazil moving forward, as environmental experts warn that there is no other option for certain towns in the state of Rio Grande do Sul but to relocate entire neighborhoods to areas that are lower risk for environmental damage.
