Andina

Peru: President warns about intentionality of forest fires in San Martin region

Photo: ANDINA/Presidency of the Republic of Peru

Photo: ANDINA/Presidency of the Republic of Peru

15:21 | Lima, Sep. 20.

The Council of Ministers will evaluate the establishment of a legal framework so that zones affected by forest fires do not become agricultural and crop areas, President Dina Boluarte stated after confirming that there are zone where fires are intentionally set to reach that condition.


Within this framework, the Head of State indicated that when flying over the Awajun district in Rioja province (San Martin region), she observed that "the intentionality of fires is to expand agricultural spaces."

The top official said the fire that had started in that place was moving from an already-planted agricultural land towards the area where forests are located.

"Areas of trees continued to be set on fire to expand the agricultural zone; that is not an ancestral custom," the president stated.

In order to prevent this type of maneuver from leading to the depredation of Amazonian forests, "we will discuss a legal framework at the Council of Ministers so that these zones affected by fires are not recognized as areas for cultivation or agriculture," Mrs. Boluarte said. 

"And even less will a property title be granted," she added.

Therefore, the Head of State deemed as unfair that there are attempts to establish large-scale agricultural zones in these places by setting fires.

“They attempt to burn hectares of land so that, once everything is burned, they can enter with machinery" and turn the place into an area for crops, she estimated. 

The top official asked that the Public Prosecutor's Office also participate in the observation flights with the aim of verifying these prohibited actions.

"This is a crime against the environment, against wildlife, and the people who live in the Amazonia," she indicated. 

Similarly, the president indicated that what she saw when flying over Amazonas region —also declared in a state of emergency due to forest fires— was different from what she observed in San Martin region.

Mrs. Boluarte said that in the first place it could be considered that the fire was caused by the traditional custom of burning vegetation.

General statistics

Regarding the overall situation of forest fires, 83% of them "have been attended to and extinguished,” the president indicated. 

She added that approximately 288,000 liters of water have been used to mitigate them.

(END) FGM/MVB

Published: 9/20/2024