The president of Peru, Dina Boluarte, declared a state of emergency in the departments of San Martin, Amazonas y Ucayali, due to the forest fires that have caused the death of 16 people so far this year. The measure, announced on Wednesday during a break in the weekly meeting of the Council of Ministers, responds to the critical situation facing these regions, where fires are still active.
“We are agreeing to declare a state of emergency in the regions of San Martin, Amazonas y Ucayali“, he said Boluartewho highlighted that, of the more than 200 fires recorded in Andean and Amazonian areas, only 38 remain active. According to the president, “we have already made progress with 80% of controlling and extinguishing them,” although the most persistent fires are concentrated in the Andean and Amazonian regions. areas under emergency.
The lack of rain and a prolonged drought favoured the expansion of the fires, exacerbated by climate change. Faced with the critical situation, the governors of the affected regions requested greater resources and assistance, which led the Government to mobilise helicopters from the Army, Navy and Air Force to support the efforts to control the fire.
Peruvian authorities say the origin of the fires is linked to practices traditional agricultural, such as burning plant residues to renew farmland. This method, common in various regions, has aggravated the situation, affecting 1,495 hectares of crops and more than 2,000 hectares of pastures.
Activists and the Peruvian Society of Environmental Law They demanded greater government intervention in view of the magnitude of the disaster, which not only claimed human lives but also damaged ecosystems and wildlife.
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2024-09-21 06:01:02