A group of mayors and community presidents from towns bordering the Paraná River in the south of Santa Fe carried out an act of “visibility” at the Buenos Aires Obelisk of the problem of the fires that affect the area of the delta islands and, within the framework of a subsequent meeting with Security Minister Aníbal Fernández, indicated that received the commitment of the national State to advance in the coordination of a federal strategy to control the fires that cover several cities in Santa Fe with smoke.
under the slogan “Enough Burning”, the multiparty call began after 9 o’clock and was headed by the mayors of Rosario, Pablo Javkin (Civic and Social Progressive Front); from Villa Constitución, Jorge Berti (PJ); and from Villa Gobernador Gálvez, Alberto Ricci (Civic and Social Progressive Front).
“What we want to point out, in this iconic place of our Argentine Republic, is that decisions have to be made to end ecocide in the Delta, but fundamentally also to take care of the health of each one of our neighbors,” said Berti at the start of the press conference.
“Decisions have to be made to end ecocide in the Delta, but fundamentally also to take care of the health of each of our neighbors”Jorge Berti, mayor of Villa Constitución
“We request that the governor of Entre Ríos (Gustavo Bordet) take charge of this situation. It is his province, his jurisdiction, where the fires are happening and those who are harming us are all the people of Santa Fe who live on the coast,” continuous.
“We need to prevent the islands from burning and we need security measures,” he said. the mayor of Villa Constitución, who added that “a new pandemic affects us Santa Fe.”
Meanwhile, Javkin assured that more than 1,800,000 people are being affected by the smoke from the fires and to date there are two active foci covering 12,000 hectares.
“The wetland is burning every day. We have gone to the provincial courts of Santa Fe and Entre Ríos, we are plaintiffs, we have provided data, but we need specific investigations and action on the ground,” he said.
Among the claims that led to the Obelisk, Javkin highlighted the request for “searching, custody and permanent presence of federal forcesfrom the Army in the logistical contribution, from the Albatros Group, and from the Amphibian group”.
“The historical activities of the islands are not those that burn fifteen times, we are facing something of greater speculation,” warned the mayor of Rosario and pointed out: “They are real estate activities and agricultural extension activities that have nothing to do with what traditionally happened on the island, hence the volume.”
For his part, the mayor of Villa Gobernador Gálvez remarked: “We are going to continue fighting for the permanent security of that entire area and asking for the Armed Forces to be installed.”
meetings
After the protest at the Obelisk, the community leaders met with the Minister of Security, Aníbal Fernández; the Secretary of Security and Criminal Policy, Mercedes La Gioiosa, and the head of the Argentine Naval Prefecture, perfect general Mario Farinon.
As a result of the meeting, Javkin declared: “They are aware, especially Prefecture because they know the area very well, that’s why we came here.”
“We need a federal response, that is what we have agreed with the minister and that is what will be transferred to the defense minister and the governor. Here what we need is for it to stop turning on,” said the mayor of Rosario this noon in statements to the press.
Likewise, the Security Minister promised to “speak with the governors of Santa Fe and Entre Ríos so that the provincial police participate together with the federal ones in reinforcing control in the Delta islands,” spokesmen for the ministry told Télam.
In the afternoon, the mayors will debate with national deputies from Santa Fe to promote the sanction of laws to -they said- “prevent the fire from igniting” in the fields of the Paraná Delta wetland.
The demonstration at the Obelisk was accompanied by more than a dozen young people from Rosario who unfurled a banner calling for “Enough Burning” and held banners with slogans such as “Wetlands Law Now” and “We want to breathe.”
Also participating in the call were the community presidents of Álvarez, Carlos Pighin (Civic and Social Progressive Front); from Pavón, José López (We make Santa Fe), and from General Lagos, Esteban Ferri (PJ).
