In the wake of wildfires spreading across eastern Bolivia, 1.5 million protesters marched through the metropolitan city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra voicing opposition towards President Evo Morales. Santa Cruz, the largest city in Bolivia, contains the most diverse population of citizens. In fact, 10% of the entire population of Bolivia took to the streets. The October 4th demonstration saw protesters opposing Morales’ re-election vote, calling for a declaration of a national emergency, and voicing outrage towards the deaths of the 4 firefighters that lost their lives in the flames. The citizens find their efforts have been exasperated by so much political inaction taken by Morales, which prompted the widespread protests.

Source: Creation Photography

Source: Creation Photography

Source: AP

Jhanisse Daza, Bolivian activist and co-founder of the environmental and civil rights organization Rios de Pie, has been frustrated by Bolivian politics for awhile. In an interview with The New Voice, Daza said her organization works to “focus on human rights and environmental rights… based in nonviolence.” She now works at the Human Rights Foundation and is very “frustrated with the abuses of power on every level.” She goes on to explain qualms with the Morales administration saying “His government has become increasingly authoritarian.”

Protesters are calling on President Morales to declare the wildfires a national emergency. Declaring a national disaster would prompt aid from international forces, and ideally, end the destruction of sacred, indigenous land. Morales only went as far as to request international aid, not invoke more aid by declaring a national emergency. Governmentally protected areas of indigenous lands have been cleared for oil drilling and production of beef and soy. The fires have destroyed more than four million hectares of land. So far, the government of Bolivia has been set on not declaring the fires an emergency. The government sent out a Boeing 747 Supertanker and other planes to extinguish the fires back in August.

#ANF Las imágenes captadas por un dron muestran la magnitud del cabildo que se realizó el viernes en Santa Cruz. El video fue difundido por la fraternidad Cambas Jumechis. pic.twitter.com/6FzLo6vJGy — Agencia Fides (ANF) (@noticiasfides) October 5, 2019

With an election on the horizon, Bolivia’s leadership has been hesitant to call on international aid, mainly because Morales’ re-election is on the line with ongoing controversy. Recently, Morales has ignored multiple pleas from Bolivians about his administration. In 2016, the people of Bolivia voted against getting rid of term limits, however, Morales abused his power. In 2018, he took to the constitutional court in order to receive a fourth consecutive term. Jair Bolsonaro and his policies allowed farmers to clear their land that allowed the fires to spread. With the October 20th election on the way, the people of Bolivia are content to vote against Morales in favor of his opponent, business-oriented, Carlos Mesa.

As of October 7th, the two-month-long forest fires have been extinguished by rains, according to Bolivian province officials. They say satellites depict no sign of fires raging in the Chiquitano forests. Yet, the opposition is still in outrage by governmental inaction as the other areas of Bolivia that have caught fire are still under inspection.

#Bolivia: protests continue across the country asking the government to let international help in. We hear reports of volunteers passing out due to intoxication since they don’t have masks.

Yup, this is me giving a speech outside the Cathedral and holding tears. #SOSBolivia pic.twitter.com/Z2UQlHaSWG — Jhanisse V. Daza (@JhanisseVDaza) August 29, 2019

Daza reiterated that after these protests and extinguished fires, this preventable destruction can not happen again. She urges the government to deliver actual legislation that would end deforestation and protect the environment. Daza elaborated on her organization’s efforts saying, “As a movement, Rios de Pie/Standing Rivers is doing all we can to channel people’s anger into constructive and creative action (such as taking donations, creative protests, trainings for firefighters, etc). As national elections approach next weekend in Bolivia, in which Morales is illegally participating, we will increase our efforts and continue to work nonviolently since the country is going through a crisis right now.”

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