Analysis
Norway is one of the world’s largest oil producers, ranking **13th globally in 2019** (per EIA data) and home to **Equinor**, a state-backed oil giant. The **Amazon Fund**, created in 2008, *did* receive **$1.2 billion from Norway** (as of 2019) to combat deforestation—a fact confirmed by Brazil’s own **BNDES** (development bank) and Norway’s **Ministry of Climate and Environment**. Bolsonaro’s implication that Norway ‘lives off chicken and fish’ ignores its **$1.4 trillion oil-funded sovereign wealth fund** (Norway Government Pension Fund Global). His suggestion that donations were a pretext for resource theft lacks evidence and contradicts Norway’s transparent, decades-long climate financing policies.
Background
The **Amazon Fund** was established under Lula da Silva’s administration with Norway as its primary donor, channeling funds through **BNDES** for sustainable projects. Tensions escalated in 2019 after Bolsonaro’s government **froze the fund’s governance** and deforestation surged, prompting Norway to **halt payments**. Bolsonaro frequently framed foreign environmental criticism as ‘colonialist’ interference, a narrative amplified during his 2019–2022 presidency.
Verdict summary
Jair Bolsonaro's claim that Norway has no oil and that its Amazon Fund donations were a ploy to seize Brazil's resources is demonstrably false; Norway is a major oil producer and exporter with a sovereign wealth fund built on petroleum revenues.