• Tweeter

  • republish

The deforestation of the Amazon reached in May 2019 an unprecedented rate for ten years (illustrative image). Dado Galdieri / Bloomberg via Getty Images

In Peru, the authorities are mobilizing to try to calm the worried population to see the huge fires that ravage the Amazon in Brazil and Bolivia. Goodwill is obvious but the means are limited.

With our correspondent in the region, Éric Samson

In the control room of the newly established National Civil Defense Emergency Operations Center - built through Chinese cooperation - several soldiers are looking at satellite imagery. In front of the public television cameras, General Ricardo Ceijas, coordinator of the center, is reassuring: " 362 km is the distance between our border and the nearest fire. The wind conditions have not changed. It is necessary to tranquilize the population and tell them that there is no danger. "

" Monitor permanently "

A message repeated by the defense minister, General Jorge Moscoso: " There is no risk, there is no fire currently active in our borders that deserves a response from the state. But it is important to mention that the capacity of this national emergency operations center allows us to monitor the Amazon region permanently . "

Meager air means

Monitor, yes, because Peru has its own earth observation satellite, but fighting against possible fires is another matter in view of the length of the border between Peru, Brazil and Bolivia. The state of alert was declared in the region, 200 forest guards were mobilized but, on the air side, only one fire-fighting helicopter was deployed in the region of Madre de Dios. If the fires arrive, the 10,000 liters of water he can carry would suddenly seem very derisory.