Argentine Patagonia is going through a tragic summer, with at least five large fires that have already burned more than 20,000 hectares, including in two important national parks and in recent days also in the tourist town of El Bolsón, where the first fatality was recorded.
The five main foci are distributed between the provinces of Neuquén, Río Negro and Chubut, in the south of the country.
The most serious fire is that of the Nahuel Huapi National Park, located between Neuquén and Río Negro and where the fire, which originated at the end of last December, has destroyed more than 10,000 hectares in the Los Manzanos area and more than 600 in the El Manso sector, according to the latest figures released by the park authorities.
Adverse weather conditions, such as strong winds and high temperatures, have hindered the work of the nearly 200 brigade members who are struggling to contain the flames.
In the Lanín National Park, in Neuquén, the fire in the Magdalena Valley, which began in early January, has already affected more than 4,000 hectares and remains active despite the work of more than a hundred brigade members and volunteers.
The province of Chubut, further south of the country, is home to two other important foci. The main one is located in the town of Epuyén, where the fire has so far burned more than 3,500 hectares of vegetation, including thickets, pastures, plantations, shrubs and native forest, in addition to at least 70 homes.
In parallel, the province has registered another focus since last January 19, when the rural area of Atilio Viglione caught fire, where the flames continue to be active and more than 3,000 hectares have already burned.
The most recent fire started last Thursday in El Bolsón, a town located in Río Negro and known for being one of the most tourist destinations in Argentine Patagonia.
According to the latest report of the provincial government, about 2,800 hectares have already been burned and the death of a man of about 80 years old has been recorded.
More than 300 people work in the area to try to contain the flames, some of which do it on the ground and others by air, using three hydrant aircraft and two helicopters of the National Fire Management Service.
Both the governor of Río Negro, Alberto Weretilneck, and the governor of Chubut, Ignacio Torres, reported that the fires in their provinces were caused intentionally.
In addition, together with the governors of adjacent provinces, including that of Neuquén, they prepared a joint document in which they expressed the “support and commitment in the fight against fires that affect the mountain range area.”
“Today, more than ever, we are working together to fight fires and protect our communities,” they said in the statement.
Under orders from U.S. President Donald Trump, the Department of Justice has directed the “total elimination” of drug cartels.
Newly appointed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has made the “complete eradication” of organized crime cartels a top priority. In response, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum urged Washington on Friday to begin operations against these groups within U.S. territory.
On Thursday, the U.S. Justice Department released a memorandum in which Bondi called for a review of national security and anti-narcotics strategies to achieve the swift dismantling of all cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
“This public policy requires a fundamental shift in mindset and approach.
We must do more than just try to mitigate the enormous harm these groups cause in the United States. It is not enough to stop the wave of deadly poisons, such as fentanyl, that these organizations distribute in our country,” the memo states.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he will revoke his predecessor Joe Biden’s authorization to receive classified intelligence briefings, a privilege typically extended to former presidents even after leaving office.
“There is no reason for Joe Biden to continue having access to classified information,” Trump stated on his social media platform, Truth Social.
“We will immediately revoke Joe Biden’s security clearances and stop his daily intelligence briefings,” he declared, before adding in capital letters: “JOE, YOU’RE FIRED.”
Trump claims he made the decision in response to Biden’s actions in 2020 when the then-president stripped him of security clearance after winning the election. At the time, Biden cited Trump’s “erratic behavior” both before and after the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, when protesters attempted to block Congress from certifying Biden’s victory.
On Friday, Trump argued that Biden “cannot be trusted” with intelligence reports, referencing a special counsel’s findings on classified documents found at Biden’s home, which concluded that the 82-year-old Democrat has “poor memory.”
The personnel of a Florida security agency will be able to carry out tasks against irregular immigration in this US state, after an agreement signed with the government Department of Homeland Security (DHS), state governor Ron DeSantis reported on Friday.
At a press conference, the Republican announced the agreement signed with this federal agency through which the members of the Florida Highway Patrol will be able to interrogate and arrest people suspected of being illegal immigrants, as well as prosecute those who re-entered the country after a deportation.
“Now is the last chance to end illegal immigration once and for all,” said DeSantis, after announcing this agreement that grants “migration authority” to the state Highway Police, dependent on the Florida Department of Road Safety and Motor Vehicles.
Under this agreement with DHS, the troops of the Florida Highway Patrol will also be able to arrest undocumented people who arrive in this southern state by sea and hand them over to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE).
DeSantis explained that being an agreement with the Government of US President Donald Trump, what was announced this Friday does not require approval by the state legislature, with whom the governor maintains a struggle.
The state Congress has approved in an extraordinary session convened by DeSantis a migration project that ignores proposals made by the governor, who has replied that he plans to veto the initiative once it reaches his desk for signature.
The fight against irregular immigration has been one of DeSantis’ workhorses, especially when he was a candidate for the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidential elections, from which he withdrew before the advance of current President Trump.
Since then and to date, he has harshly criticized what he describes as an “open border policy”, in force during the mandate of former President Joe Biden (2021-2025).
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