Government disclaims responsibility for ‘incendiary laws’ and claims that the repeal of regulations is the responsibility of the legislature

In a report on the situation of forest fires, the Minister of the Environment, Alan Lisperguer, He dismissed the Government’s responsibility for the package of laws that legalize burning in the countrywhich, according to environmental experts and different sectors, are the main cause of the environmental disaster caused by the fire in the department of Santa Cruz. In addition, it transferred the responsibility of repealing these norms to the Legislative Branch.

In the program “¡Qué Semana!”, on EL DEBER Radio, the authority was asked about the Government’s position on these regulations. Does the government have any position to repeal these incendiary laws? This was the question posed to the authority.

In response to the question, Lisperguer explained that the repeal of these regulations is the responsibility of the legislative branch. “It is the responsibility of the legislature to repeal or repeal; However, the clearest example of the government’s action has been the issuance of the decree establishing the environmental pause that prohibits all burning activities, we are talking about Supreme Decree 5225,” said the authority.

According to the minister, this decree aims to prevent the intentionality behind some fires started in order to request the allocation of land.

Bolivian laws passed since 2013, such as Law 337 and Law 502, have facilitated the regularization of illegally deforested lands, increasing deforestation.

Although justified in the name of food safety, of the 460,000 hectares cleared between 2015 and 2022only 40,800 were used for crops. Law 741 of 2015, which allowed clearing for small farmers, has been exploited by private interests, causing massive fires.

Other laws, such as Law 1171 and Decree 24,253, have minimized penalties for deforestation, turning Bolivia into a “paradise” for illegal deforestation.

Finally, the minister addressed criticisms about the alleged lack of a timely response to the fires, indicating that both the national government and the municipal and departmental governments have followed the procedures established by law for the declaration of emergency.

He also said he would respond to the popular action initiated by the Ombudsman, which accuses several authorities, including himself, of failing to adequately address the fire crisis.

“Surely The ombudsman will also have to respond in due time to what actions he has taken. during and after the fire, not only during this administration, but also during other administrations,” he said.

The minister reported that there are currently 58 active fires in 26 municipalities and 3 departments. To date, the fire has affected 1.5 million hectares of forest and 2.3 million hectares of grasslands, many of them on private property.

In addition, Lisperguer said that the Ministry has initiated 297 administrative proceedings and 82 criminal proceedings against those responsible for causing the fires.

Lisperguer said the country is still facing between 50% and 60% of the most critical period for fires. The months of September, October and November are especially dangerous due to high temperatures and dry environments, which increase vulnerability and facilitate the spread of fire.

The minister therefore called for redoubling efforts to prevent the spread of the fires, not only in Santa Cruz and Beni, but also in other areas such as La Paz and Tarija.