El Diario:

Legislator Questions Bureaucracy of Authorities

• In the department of Santa Cruz, two million hectares have burned in the last two months, and in other regions, nearly one million hectares of green areas, according to official reports.

The fire continues to spread uncontrollably in the eastern region of the country. According to data from the Governor’s Office, two million hectares of forest areas have burned in the department of Santa Cruz in the last two months. Meanwhile, in other regions, the fires have affected nearly one million hectares, according to reports from the Ministry of Defense.

The affected hectares have primarily been in grasslands, agricultural areas, and at least six protected areas, according to a report from the Chiquitano Dry Forest Observatory. The first reserve affected is the Área Natural de Manejo Integrado (ANMI) in the Santa Cruz municipality of San Matías, where the fire reached ten days ago and still cannot be controlled.

There is concern that the fire in this region could spread and affect nearby communities, where residents suffer from the toxic effects of the fire and smoke, and—as happens every year—are pleading with the authorities for help.

In light of this situation, National Deputy María René Álvarez questioned the failure to activate humanitarian aid, blaming bureaucracy for standing in the way of the population’s needs. She expressed regret over the current situation in the Chiquitania and other regions of the country, affected by forest fires that continue to grow daily without being controlled by state authorities.

Álvarez called for government agencies to set aside bureaucracy and immediately activate all humanitarian aid mechanisms, both national and international, to assist the population and reinforce the efforts of firefighters, volunteers, and park rangers with supplies, bottled water, equipment, tools, medicines, and more.

CREDITS: Infobae