El Diario reports:
Government guarantees supply
- 2,200 families were affected, one deceased was reported in Chuquisaca and more than 30 thousand camelids are at risk of perishing
- 700 hectares of coffee, plantain, cassava, potatoes, corn and grasslands endure the climate impact
The cold wave that reached the Bolivian territory from the beginning of last week affected 2,200 families and at least 30 thousand camelids are at risk of perishing. Likewise, coffee, banana, cassava, potato, corn and grassland crops are suffering the climate impact in 700 rural productive hectares.
Last night [7/25/2019], the Aclo network reported that in San Lucas, Chuquisaca, an elderly woman died due to the intense cold from snowfall.
The mayor of San Lucas, Zenón Ayza, informed Fides radio that Irinea Quiroga was found frozen and dumped on a road. She died of hypothermia.
However, the Minister of Rural Development and Lands, César Cocarico, ruled out yesterday that, for the moment, there are risks in food production because of the last storm and assured the supply. He did not mention an emergency declaration.
In the departments of Oruro, Tarija, Potosí, La Paz, Chuquisaca and Cochabamba there have been snowfalls and Santa Cruz yesterday experienced a historic temperature drop that reached 6.8 degrees Celsius.
“It has been a very difficult week because of the snowfall that has practically fallen in all the high altitude regions of the country. There was a lot of concern about the storm. But, I must tell you that there are no negative effects, because it is not yet a sowing or cultivation season. And while there are still cold forecasts until the weekend, it will not be as intense as this last weekend. People have to be given peace of mind,” said Minister Cocarico.
The presence of snow and fog on several roads has forced the Bolivian Highway Administrator (ABC) to instruct the closure of the routes to prevent traffic accidents.
The regional manager of ABC- Santa Cruz, Omar Velarde, informed that at kilometer183 of the old road to Cochabamba there was a new landslide that forced to suspend, for the second time, the traffic of vehicles on that road, which also connects with the valleys of Santa Cruz. He announced that the rest of the roads are enabled.
“At seven o’clock in the morning we had a new landslide of mud, produced at kilometer 183, between Los Negros and Pampa Grande, then, again the road is closed and we estimate that until the next hours we have the place cleaned, it has displaced a loader that is removing the stones,” he told at a news conference.
Bolivian Thoughts opinion: Unlike housing conditions in the USA or other countries, Bolivia does not have heating systems at rural homes and most of urban housing do not have even have hot water on tap. We are not used to experience extreme cold and thus, are not prepared for this type of events. The populist demagogue government has not done anything towards food security, instead larger imports of food we used to grow keep increasing. Therefore, weather hitting us the way it is happening and an inept government will adversely impact our lifes.
Bolivian Thoughts 