Brazil's space research chief says sacked over Bolsonaro deforestation spat

The head of Brazil's National Institute for Space Research said Friday he was going to be sacked following a row with President Jair Bolsonaro over deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.

Ricardo Galvao had accused far-right Bolsonaro of "cowardice" for publicly questioning satellite data produced by the INPE institute that showed Amazon rainforest deforestation had increased 88 per cent on-year in June.

"My words about the president have caused annoyance, so I'm going to be fired," said Galvao.

Two weeks ago, Bolsonaro had told reporters: "With all the devastation that you are accusing us of doing... the Amazon region would already have been extinguished."

Bolsonaro, a climate change skeptic, also called on Galvao "to come to Brasilia to explain the data that was released to the press."

The president has previously floated the idea of opening up protected rainforest areas to agriculture, a highly controversial move given the existing level of deforestation.

In his row with Galvao, ...