on Wednesday reported that at the latest Council of Ministers session officials decided to declare a state of emergency in Amazonas, San Martin, and Ucayali regions due to the presence of forest fires.
"This Government, led by an Andean woman, understands well what it means to face adversity; thus, we have decided to declare a state of emergency in these three regions," she stated.
Mrs. Boluarte said that
when flying over Amazonas region, the
difficulties posed by the rugged geography in attending to the affected areas were identified, which
complicates helicopter access to discharge water during each flight.
In this context, Mrs. Boluarte said the Government has responded immediately from the outset, using all available resources from both the national government and regional ones.
"We are faced with Armed Forces that have limited logistics. However, at this time, all helicopters from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and National Police are available for the Air Force to combat fires nationwide," she underlined.
The president reported that the Government has already extinguished 80% of the more than 200 fires which have been registered, and is currently working on 38 that remain active.
"Besides, we are addressing the water shortage situation affecting (the city of) Iquitos. This is not the responsibility of either the governor or the president; it is the effect of climate change," she indicated.
Afterwards, the Head of State issued a call to the population near the Amazonia, since the more than 200 fires have been caused by human intervention.
"I understand that some ancient cultures believe that burning the land will bring rain, but we know that this is not the case. The only thing that is achieved is generating this emergency situation; therefore, I call for reflection," she emphasized.
The top official indicated that the current situation in this country is not an exception in the region, as fires are not only occurring in Peru but also in Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, and the United States.
"If we compare this to previous years, during this same period, more than 1,000 fires had already been recorded in Peru. I am not trying to justify this situation, but rather to offer a comparative framework," she remarked.
"The agreement signed today is of vital importance and constitutes a significant step towards a more sustainable and balanced future for our beloved country. It enables us to identify the best ways to use our resources, ensuring that economic development goes hand-in-hand with environmental conservation, which is how our Government conceives the progress of Peru," she pointed out.