This archive report was first published on 4 November 2019.
On November 3, 2019, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro expressed concern that the worst of the oil spill crisis was yet to come, with over 200 beaches affected along the country's northeast coast.
The oil slicks have been appearing for three months, fouling a 2,000 kilometer stretch of Brazil's most celebrated shoreline. Crews and volunteers have been working tirelessly to clean up tons of oil on the beaches.
According to Bolsonaro, the amount of oil collected so far is a small fraction of what was spilled. He also stated that everything indicates the oil slicks have moved towards the coast of Brazil.
The government has named a Greek-flagged tanker, the Bouboulina, as the prime suspect behind the oil slicks. The ship had taken on oil in Venezuela and was headed for Singapore.
The space agency Inpe warned that there might still be oil at sea being pushed by currents, which could reach the states of Espiritu Santo and Rio de Janeiro in southeast Brazil.
