00:00Bolivia. Forest fires, although fewer than in previous years, continue unabated despite the start of the rainy season in several regions of the country and are concentrated in the Department of Santa Cruz, traditionally the most affected by this annual phenomenon. Our correspondent, Freddy Morales, gives us the details.
00:18Forest fires continue to burn in four of the country's nine departments, but more than 80% of them are concentrated in the Department of Santa Cruz.
00:33The orange alert for high temperatures is still in effect, issued by the National Weather Service, which provides the conditions for these forest fires to continue to develop.
00:40Rainfall has been spotty, with not all areas affected by the fires receiving rain.
00:53The government of Santa Cruz reported that in that department alone, 200,000 hectares have been affected.
01:01We have 545 hot spots, a significant reduction, in Santa Cruz for 117, seven active fires throughout Bolivia,
01:13in four departments, in Beni and San Javier, in Potosi and Pagua, which was completely extinguished yesterday and is now in the cooling-off period.
01:20In Santa Cruz, we have rising temperatures in Garayos, in Concepcion, in San Ignacio de Velasco,
01:25and in San José de Quicuidos, and in Tarija, in the Villamontes area.
01:34The government of Santa Cruz has repeatedly requested urgent assistance to deal with the situation.
01:44We have received many notes from the government of Santa Cruz,
01:48stating that the situation of the fires in Santa Cruz have exceeded the operational capacity of the government,
01:52so that there is a need to declare a departmental disaster.
01:59But according to the rules, in order to receive extraordinary aid,
02:05any region affected by natural disasters that exceed its response capacity,
02:10must declare a state of disaster.
02:11The government of Santa Cruz must declare a departmental disaster due to forest fires in order to mobilize more resources.
02:22What is striking is that after five consecutive years of forest fires,
02:31the Santa Cruz government has only been able to rent a single helicopter,
02:34given the recurrence of forest fires in the department.
02:37The government of Santa Cruz must declare a departmental disaster.
02:40The areas affected by fires have not yet reached one million hectares,
02:48compared to last year when the country reached a record of more than 12 million hectares.
02:53Fire traditionally used to clear cultivated areas,
02:56in recent years has also been used as a political tool by businesses and other sectors
03:00to affect the national government,
03:02and economic management,
03:03in order to claim ownership of the burnt state lands.
03:09Freddy Morales, Telesur, Bolivia.
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