From Cordoba to the fire of the Amazon

The eyes of the world are turning to Brazil. In the Amazon, more precisely, where fire devours a very important part of the biggest lung of the planet.

After being criticized by various world leaders who backed Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for not reacting in time to mitigate the ecological disaster, the president deployed 44,000 soldiers to fight the forest fires.

Cordoba will also send help to calm the flames. A group of 13 firefighters from different barracks in the province will be part of the contingent of 200 Argentine brigades that will travel to Brazil. This was confirmed by Claudio Vignetta, Secretary of Climate Risk and Disaster Management for the province.

"I have just received a call from the Ministry of National Security and we have prepared, for the moment, 13 firefighters to go to fight fires in Brazil as part of a contingent that will expand into all over Argentina. We are preparing things because they can certainly embark tonight or tomorrow for Buenos Aires, "said the official during his participation in the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the La Falda fire station.

Still with his mobile phone in hand, Vignetta pointed to The voice that designated personnel must be "fully equipped and with significant logistics" to work "at least 10 or 15 days" instead, although it is not excluded that a turnaround took place during this period or transfers to other affected areas, such as Bolivia

"I know that 260 firefighters are ready and eager to go to work, but we will have to select 13 who have a lot of experience and skills. We do not want something from a firefighter in Brazil because these are complicated fires, "insisted Vignetta.

He added: "I wish to transmit tranquility to the families of the 13 people badigned, because we will not send them to a place where we can not deal with them. We will take care of them, they will have all the military and security guard. It is a pride for Córdoba that we have been taken into account. "

For his part, the director of Civil Defense, Diego Concha, confirmed that "there is a specific request from the nation to send firefighters from Córdoba to Brazil" and explained to this newspaper that " for the moment, we are dealing with 13, although the province has offered 250 ready and prepared men, including a shortlist of 150 people. "

"There were 150 people left for a first job, but we have the number of people needed," said Concha, adding that the province's fire control system would not be affected by this trip, since it counts 5 000 men and "highly trained and prepared people to deal urgently at the local level".

Submission of troops

Yesterday, the 44,000 soldiers appointed by the Bolsonaro government began to be deployed in the Amazon, the target of strong criticism from France and Ireland for their management of claims in the jungle.

The Ministry of Defense announced that the number of Amazonian states having already formalized the request for dispatch of equipment of the armed forces, which must act alongside local authorities to contain the flames, has increased six.

A day after the Brazilian president signed a decree authorizing the sending of troops to the Amazon, the defense portfolio explained that the 44,000 military personnel spread across the vast Amazonian territory would be used, which is equivalent to twice the surface of Argentina.

For the moment, the executive does not see the need to move regiments from other parts of the country.

Thus, the military teams are working since yesterday and, in principle, until 24 September, in the states of Rondonia, Roraima, Tocantins, Pará, Acre and Mato Grosso.

The other three states of the Brazilian Amazon have not yet asked for reinforcements.

Some 400 soldiers are fighting both fires and environmental damage in the region only in Rondonia, on the border with Bolivia, where part of the jungle is also burning.

Similarly, two planes, each capable of storing 12,000 liters of water, are already used in the vicinity of the regional capital of Porto Velho, which has about 600,000 inhabitants and one of the cities most affected by intense smoke caused by fires. .

A helicopter, four planes and 30 volunteer firefighters from the National Security Force were also moved to this location.

Despite the start of operations, the Ministry of Defense is still waiting for the authorization of 28 million reais (about 7 million dollars) for emergency situations blocked by the federal government.

According to the National Institute of Space Research (Inpe), the Amazon region records more than half of the 71,497 forest fires detected in Brazil between January and August this year.

According to the same organization, up to now this year, epidemics exceed 83% of those of the same period in 2018.

Critics of activists of a Brazilian official

It is "stupid" to think that the Amazon "belongs to the world".

The Brazilian Minister of the Environment, Ricardo Salles, described as ridiculous "the Amazon". "This is not the lung of the world.This has already been said and is recognized.The Amazon has its closed cycle.It emits what it consumes.It is a Brazilian patron ", did he declare.