US EditionArgentina fires ravage pristine Patagonia forests, fueling criticism of Milei’s austerity
Wildfires have destroyed over 45,000 hectares of native forest in Patagonia amid 80% and 71% budget cuts to firefighting agencies in 2024 and 2026, experts say.
- On Monday, wildfires were still burning in Los Alerces National Park, producing thick smoke and dramatic night flames in the drought-stricken Patagonia region.
- President Javier Milei's austerity measures cut fire‑fighting budgets sharply, slashing the National Fire Management Service by 80% in 2024 and cutting National Park Administration funds last year.
- A 2023 National Park Administration report recommended 700 firefighters, but the park agency employs just 391 now after losing 10% of staff, while cuts reduced training and equipment, forcing firefighters and volunteer brigades to rely on donations.
- Amid protests and criticism, President Javier Milei relented Thursday, declaring a state of emergency that unlocked $70 million for volunteer firefighters, critics say he was slow to act.
- Local residents and volunteers warn the losses go beyond landscape to livelihoods, as fires destroyed more than 45,000 hectares of native forest and threaten ancient 2,600-year-old trees in Los Alerces National Park.
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The Columbian
Washington TimesArgentina fires ravage pristine Patagonia forests, fueling criticism of Milei’s austerity
LOS ALERCES NATIONAL PARK, Argentina — These days, the majestic, forested slopes of Argentina’s Patagonia look like a war zone. Read more...
Patagonia Ablaze: Fires Fuel Frustration Over Government Austerity | Science-Environment
Los Alerces National Park in Argentina's Patagonia is being devastated by wildfires fueled by climate change and governmental austerity measures. President Javier Milei's spending cuts have crippled firefighting resources, prompting widespread criticism. Resignation among officials and firefighters grows as relief struggles under dire financial strains, exacerbating the crisis.
Argentina fires Patagonian forests, fueling criticism of Milei
LOS ALERCES NATIONAL PARK, Argentina — These days, the majestic, forested slopes of Argentina’s Patagonia look like a war zone. Mushroom clouds of smoke rise as if from missile strikes. Large flames illuminate the night sky, tainting the moon mango-orange and turning the glorious views that generations of writers and adventurers imprinted on the global psyche into something haunted. Vast swaths of the Los Alerces National Park, a UNESCO World He…
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