The severity and speed with which forest fires have been spreading across Brazil and Bolivia in recent weeks has prompted the two countries to combine a joint action force to try to put out the flames in the border region.
The union of forces was agreed on Monday (26), during a meeting in Corumbá (MS), which was attended by representatives of the Brazilian and Bolivian governments and public bodies.
According to the press office of the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA), Bolivian authorities will formally request support from the Brazilian government in the coming days. From there, the two countries will conduct aerial reconnaissance of the areas affected by the fires in order to assess the best way to respond.
With this information, Brazil and Bolivia will sign a joint action protocol, defining how firefighting teams will be deployed on the border between the two countries.
Bolivia’s Vice Minister of Civil Defense, Juan Carlos Calvimontes, was present at the meeting and confirmed the intention of the two governments to join forces to control the flames. Calvimontes commented on social media that, during the meeting, representatives from both countries exchanged information on the current situation, identifying the main active hotspots in the border region and discussing possible joint actions.
“It was decided that we would work together,” said the vice minister during a press conference, classifying the meeting in Corumbá as a “meeting for technical coordination and information exchange on forest fires” in Brazil and Bolivia. “We identified the areas where there are active fires in both countries. Now, we need to continue with the planning work.”
Like Brazil, Bolivia has been facing the consequences of large-scale forest fires. The state of Santa Cruz and other areas bordering Brazil are among the most affected and, as of yesterday, at least two conservation units (the Noel Kempff Mercado National Park in Santa Cruz and the Manuripi Amazonian Wildlife National Reserve in Pando) were burning.
While in Brazil, the Federal Police have opened 31 investigations to investigate the origins of the fire and eventually punish those responsible, in the neighboring country 51 criminal proceedings have already been opened for forest fires, in addition to 250 administrative proceedings. Four people have already been preventively detained in Bolivia.
