Since May, gigantic fires caused by chaqueos – a practice of clearing land by fire – have been devastating the Bolivian Amazon, with tropical forests destroyed, dozens of communities displaced and thousands of livestock carcasses and wildlife charred. Faced with this alarming situation, the president, Luis Arce, declared the country to be in a state of "national catastrophe" on September 30.

In the region, these fires are common during the dry season, which normally runs from June to September. This year, however, the drought arrived a month earlier than expected and proved particularly intense. "Trees have become more easily flammable," said Argentine climatologist Juan Minetti, director of the South American Climatology Laboratory, who noted that drought episodes "are becoming increasingly frequent" on the continent.

According to the government's assessment revealed on September 30, 6.9 million hectares – 40% of forest and 60% of grazing land – have already been ravaged. This area, equivalent to that of Ireland, exceeds the previous record for 2019 when more than 5.3 million hectares were devoured by flames. The department of Santa Cruz, the country's largest and most populous, is the hardest hit. According to the latest report from the National Meteorological and Hydrological Service on September 28, 72% (4,075) of the 5,663 outbreaks were in the region.

Natives, the main victims

The main victims of this tragedy are the indigenous populations. "Almost all of the 58 indigenous territories in the affected departments [Pando, Beni, Santa Cruz and La Paz] have been affected by the fires," said Alex Villca Limaco, an indigenous member of the Uchupiamona people and spokesman for the National Coordination for the Defense of Indigenous and Peasant Territories and Protected Areas in Bolivia.

Faced with the destruction of their environment, many communities dependent on nut gathering, hunting and the collection of medicinal plants for their survival have been forced to migrate to the cities. "We [indigenous peoples] run the risk of a silent death," said Villca Limaco, who is also concerned about the health consequences of the pollution caused by the smoke that has covered the region in a grey cloud, impairing visibility and making the air unbreathable. "Many people are suffering from coughs and respiratory and skin problems."

Reacting to the urgency of the situation, Arce, who has been in power since November 2020, declared a national health alert in the departments affected by the fires on September 7, leading to the closure of schools two days later. Then, on September 11, he announced "an environmental pause," meaning a temporary ban on setting agricultural fires for an indefinite period.

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