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Minister Valenzuela Says Chile's Vulnerability to Wildfires Explained by "Neoliberalization of the Territory"

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With the arrival of summer and rising temperatures, the risk of wildfires is imminent. In this context, the government—through the Ministry of Agriculture—has deployed a series of preventive measures, primarily focused on raising public awareness. Additionally, an increase in the national budget to address these disasters has been noted.

In this context, Minister of Agriculture Esteban Valenzuela, in conversation with Radio Duna, stated that progress has already been made in firebreaks and collaborative strategies with municipalities in the most susceptible areas, attributing greater vulnerability to zones with "land subdivisions."

"They are there, spread all over Chile, with this neoliberal approach we took to the territory, done very brutally. In Europe, it's not like that—everything is concentrated, concentric (...) in the United States, it's the same. So Chile is very vulnerable to wildfires due to these structural reasons," said the Secretary of State.

When asked whether he believes wildfires are the fault of the neoliberal system, the head of the Agriculture Ministry said no. However, he explained, "We cannot combat the advance of the fire because we have to defend plots nestled in eucalyptus forests under the pretext that there was a rural subdivision. That is, there is a component of weak land-use planning regulation, which is a significant factor."

In Valenzuela's opinion, this year "we are better prepared" and he spoke of a "quantum leap that had never happened before." In this regard, he highlighted the increase in firefighters by more than a third and the work being done with the Wood Corporation.

Source:ww.emol.com