As Latin Americans, where statistics show that Catholicism is predominant, it is possible that most of us have heard at some point in our lives that the Bible says that the world will end in fire. Many of us are probably reminded of this when we imagine wildfires and their ferocity.
Reality shows us that the destructive power of fires and their aftermath can put people at risk of losing their lives, but the responsibility is far from being moral, religious, or individual. The explanation for this situation is not based on sins and punishments, as the ideas peddled by the Church and the powerful would have us believe.
Latin America in Fire and Smoke
Latin America is no longer visible from space. For the last two months, the images we have seen are of a continent full of red dots caused by fire or clouds of smoke covering the ancient and beautiful spatial image of the blue earth.
According to the Brazilian INPE (National Institute of Space Research), the number of fires detected by the reference satellite in Latin America between January 1 and September 20, 2024, totals 380,245 and covers 13 countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, French Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela). Of these, only Chile, French Guyana, and Uruguay have lower numbers than in 2023.
Brazil leads the statistics with 195,314 wildfires, mostly concentrated in the Amazon and Cerrado biomes. Data from Brazil’s National Confederation of Municipalities (CNM) show that as of September 16, 749 municipalities had declared states of emergency and 11.2 million people have been directly affected. The damage has already reached 1.1 billion reais, which is 33 times more than the damage in 2023. At the same time last year, the drought affected 630,700 people in 120 municipalities[1].
Bolivia is the second country in terms of the number of fires, with 67,620 recorded, according to INPE. The forest fires are devastating the departments of Pando, Beni and Santa Cruz, all located in the Bolivian Amazon, where most fires have historically occurred. According to a report published by the government on September 19, 3.8 million hectares have been affected, 64 communities, 28 of which are in a state of emergency, and 43,000 people have been directly affected.
In Ecuador, according to the same INPE report, 1267 fires have been detected and the government has declared a state of emergency in 15 provinces. The fires began on August 23 and by September 20 had burned 23,453 hectares of vegetation. Food security is at risk as more than 7,000 crops have been affected, impacting more than 2,800 farmers, almost all of whom have lost their vegetable crops[2].
Peru has also had the highest number of fires in recent years, creating a national emergency where, according to a government report[3], the departments most affected include Cusco, Cajamarca, Huancavelica, Huánuco and Apurímac, where agricultural activities are most intense. The fires in this country have also caused 165 burn injuries and 18 deaths this year. In addition, more than 2,000 hectares of crops have been affected.
Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina and Paraguay have also been hit hard by fires. In Colombia, the National Unit for Risk and Disaster Management (UNGRD) reported on September 19 that “during the month of September, there were 249 forest fires in 14 departments: Cundinamarca with 66, Huila with 44 and Tolima with 44 are the most affected. The flames have consumed 23,000 hectares of forest.”[4] In Paraguay, according to the National Forestry Institute (INFONA),[5] more than 181,000 hectares have been destroyed so far in the Chovoreca region (a protected area) and a total of more than 353,000 hectares have been affected throughout the country. In Argentina, the province of Córdoba is currently the most affected, where wildfires have already consumed about 20 houses[6].
We can say that these are the direct effects and consequences of the fires, but there are other far-reaching implications. Wildfires have a direct impact on biodiversity, soil, and air. And if all this didn’t enough attract attention, because it doesn’t directly affect the majority of the population, it is now becoming more visible through the smoke we breathe across the continent, which has already led to the deaths of thousands of people. In addition, the CO2 emitted into the atmosphere is a major contributor to global warming, which will undoubtedly lead to more extreme weather events, which, according to research, is already understood by the majority of the population suffering the consequences.
The causes of the fires
It’s true that droughts have always existed. As the Atlas of Droughts (2018)[7] notes, civilization has experienced famine, migration, and disease due to lack of rain since ancient times. After all, we live on a planet with varying environmental conditions. But humans have adapted to adverse environmental conditions, taking from nature what they need to survive and creating adaptations that have made it possible to grow crops even in arid areas, such as irrigation.
But if humans have been able to create the conditions and technology to cope with adverse situations and even manage to grow crops in drier areas, why have we reached the current state of imbalance?
The problem is that the greed for profit of a very small sector of society, the big billionaires, has pushed the limits of the planet, leading us to the current imbalance, which even the deniers can no longer refute. And in the capitalist system, where profit is central, these same billionaires, with the help of their representatives in governments, are not only doing nothing to reduce the tons of CO2 released into the atmosphere, they are also taking advantage of the climate disasters that affect the poor to make more money.
Extreme weather events, such as the drought in Latin America, have meant more money for those who profit from this irrational system. They have taken advantage of this moment to set fires according to their interests, such as expanding the amount of land for monoculture and cattle ranching in the territories of indigenous peoples or environmental conservation areas.
The reality that is becoming more and more apparent in all the countries that are suffering from fires is that most of them are being caused by a sector of the wealthy class that exploits natural resources in a totally irresponsible way. And moreover, they are doing so with the full support of the governments in power, whether they are right-wing, center, or so-called “progressive” left. The deforestation and destruction of ecosystems for cattle ranching, monocultures and mineral exploitation has been the hallmark of recent decades in Latin America.
The deepening of capitalist exploitation demands more and more raw materials and energy, increasing the pressure on natural resources, and Latin America is one of the continents where this extraction has intensified in recent decades. At the beginning of the 21st century, the so-called neo-extractivism – a new phase of extractivism that Latin American countries had already experienced at other times – opened the door to the unbridled exploitation of the continent’s resources, mainly by the imperialist transnationals, and was encouraged by all the governments in power. The high international prices of primary products even helped the “progressives” to create the illusion among workers and poor people that it was now our turn.
But the privileged were always the rich (imperialist businessmen and their national partners) who got richer. And the cycle of wealth concentration continues as our natural resources are plundered, our labor is exploited, and most of what goes into the public coffers through taxes is returned, with increases, to the same rich people through tax breaks, soft loans, and other means. Governments distribute the crumbs to the poor through various bonuses and poverty grants to ensure that they remain in power. These same governments are the ones that allocate part of the resources for the police and military forces to repress the indigenous peoples, small farmers, and social movements that question the handing over of our resources and the invasion of our lands by big business. Meanwhile, they turn a blind eye to the practices of the same people who use fire to justify invading indigenous territories and protected areas to expand their businesses.
In Brazil, the country with the largest land area, it is clear, as Jeferson Choma says: “Satellite images are the best proof that the fires indicate the opening of new agricultural frontiers for the model of capitalist agriculture called agribusiness”[8].
The director of IPAM (Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia) in Brazil says that “most of these fires have criminal origins. One of the most common cases is cattle ranchers who use fires to clear pastures. Normally, this traditional practice is only allowed with prior authorization from the state where the land is located. The current crisis has led to its absolute prohibition throughout the country. It is perhaps the least respected law in Brazil,” adds IPAM’s scientific director.[9] Faced with this situation, the Lula government’s only response in recent days has been to impose tiny fines that don’t even touch the pockets of the big landowners.
But this conclusion is not limited to Brazil. In other countries, the interest of sectors linked to agribusiness and mining is also evident, as they take advantage of the fires to expand their business areas, even entering indigenous and ecologically protected lands.
In Paraguay, according to a report by the Amotocodie Initiative, after a fire was started by a farmer: “It took only ten days for the Garaigosode territory to be almost completely consumed. The indigenous property lost 14,200 hectares of fields and forest. (The) Cerro Chovoreca Natural Monument, a refuge for wildlife and isolated Ayoreo families, (lost) 3,900 hectares”[10].
In Bolivia, the statistics leave no doubt: the departments where the fires have destroyed the most are Beni and Santa Cruz, located in the Bolivian Amazon. “In Beni, 54% of the total area burned annually in Bolivia was recorded between 2001 and 2020, according to the Forest Fire Risk Monitoring and Early Warning System. In Santa Cruz, 38% of the hectares were consumed by flames.” “Proof of this is that in the 2024 season, at least 3.8 million hectares were burned in Bolivia. Of these, 2.3 million were pastures and 1.5 million were forests”[11].
We all know that the increase in greenhouse gas emissions is causing global warming, which is responsible for the climate imbalance of the planet. And this conclusion is not new, but the great leaders of the planet, the imperialist countries that are the main representatives of the wealthy class that dominates decision-making, have done nothing to solve the problem. After summits and summits, agendas and agendas, commitments and commitments, the situation has only worsened, because it’s all bullshit to fool the majority of us, the poor and working class, who are suffering the consequences in ever greater numbers.
Meanwhile, the governments in power in Latin America continue to weaken environmental laws and give in to pressure from big business, as in Peru with the Forestry Law[12], in Ecuador with the government’s failure to respect the results of the consultation on the Yasuní Park[13], and so many other examples in all countries that it would be impossible to list them in a single article.
We must take to the streets
We must take to the streets and organize from below to demand that the governments immediately allocate resources to fight the fires that are raging. And we must also demand the strengthening of environmental laws, which in recent years have been made more flexible or eliminated by all the governments in order to privilege the big and rich businessmen in the different countries.
In recent weeks, we have seen several demonstrations in different countries, such as in Peru, where the people have demanded that the Dina government cancel the new Forestry Law, approved in December 2023, which opens the door to deforestation. In Brazil, the people are demanding that Lula stop financing and expropriating agribusiness. In Ecuador, the social movement demands that the Noboa government respect the decision of the Yasuni popular consultation.
We must expand the mobilizations throughout the continent, holding united days of struggle to strengthen our fight to defend the Amazon and the different biomes that we must preserve, as well as to guarantee the continued rights of indigenous peoples to their territories, and the quality of life of all of us who need clean air to breathe.
We must break the power of the capitalists
But we must also think of our future and that of coming generations. As the lyrics of a Brazilian song[14] say, in nature “there is no sin, no forgiveness”. We cannot believe, as the Church does, that environmental catastrophes such as forest fires are the work of a superior being to punish us for our sins, because reality shows us that they are the work and responsibility of a social class that grows richer every year by exploiting nature and our labor. And we must realize that there is no forgiveness in nature either, because it charges for its destruction and the bill goes to the poorest. It is our class, the poor and the working class, who are confronted every day with polluted air, who die of respiratory diseases, who are left homeless and without land to cultivate, who pay more for food, and suffer a long list of all the consequences we face from the environmental destruction caused by the capitalist system.
Not to mention that young people, children and new generations are already living and will continue to live in environmental barbarism, as all scientific predictions indicate.
That’s why, if we want to save our home, our planet, we have to put an end to the capitalist system and build a society that lives respectfully with nature. And this society can only be a society that does not revolve around exploitation and profit, but rather provides for the needs of human beings in an egalitarian and supportive way and in accordance with the limits of nature. That’s why we advocate a socialist society. Only in such a society, in which the workers and the poor rule, can we impose the will of the majority.
Notes
[1] CNM Portal – Study updated by CNM shows that more than 11 million people have been directly affected by the fires – National Confederation of Municipalities
[2] Unexpected national blackout: Gobierno no ha pronunciado cuál fue la causa | Televistazo 7 PM #ENVIVO🔴 (youtube.com)
[3] INDECI emphasizes the importance of the joint work of the three levels of government in the face of forest fires – Noticias – Instituto Nacional de Defensa Civil – Plataforma del Estado Peruano (www.gob.pe)
[4] UNGRD proposes to fight fire with fire, what is the new strategy? (gestiondelriesgo.gov.co)
[5] Statistical data on forest fires during the first weeks of September – National Forestry Institute (infona.gov.py)
[6] https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/2024/09/21/incendios-y-drama-en-cordoba-las-llamas-alcanzaron-a-varias-casas-en-capilla-del-monte-hay-evacuados-y-un-detenido/
[7] Atlas de Sequías de América Latina y el Caribe; 2018 (lapismet.com.br)
[8] All over Brazil, climate barbarism is knocking at the door | Opinião SocialistaOpinião Socialista (opiniaosocialista.com.br)
[9] What is known about the wave of fires in Brazil (uol.com.br)
[10] Análisis de los incendios en Chovoreca, septiembre 2024 – Iniciativa Amotocodie (iniciativa-amotocodie.org)
[11] Why do forest fires devastate Brazil and Bolivia every year? – Medio Ambiente (france24.com)
[12] Peruvian government seeks to implement changes to forestry law while ignoring formal calls to repeal it (mongabay.com)
[13] President Noboa’s new decree fails to resolve uncertainty over fulfillment of Yasuní consultation in Ecuador (mongabay.com)
[14] Caetano Veloso – Alguém Cantando (youtube.com)
