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The Bolivian authorities are working night and day to extinguish the flames engulfing the Chiquitania region located in the country's southern sector.
On Friday, seven countries representing the European Union sent squadrons of technicians to Bolivia in order to help the South American country put out the fires in the Chiquitania region located in the department of Santa Cruz.
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According to Bolivian Foreign MInister Diego Party, the E.U. technicians were deployed to the Chiquitania region, where they are working with local civil defense teams to put out these massive forest fires.
Pary stressed that the economic cooperation, coalesced with the technical assistance of seven countries, has already proven effective in putting out the flames.
“The United States sent 10 experts, six Americans and four Costa Ricans. France is offering flight hours for five helicopters that will work until the weekend," he said.
Among the international organizations that have already begun helping the South American nation are the CAF-Development Bank of Latin America (US$300,000), the Inter-American Development Bank (US$200,000), the United Nations (US$150,000), the Fonplata (US$100,000), FAO (US$500,000) and ALBA (US$1,000,000).
In addition to the technicians, the European Union has also vowed to send humanitarian aid to the areas affected by these forest fires in eastern Bolivia.
"Having received the requirements of the Bolivian Government, the European Union has immediately activated an international operation to support the fight to contain fires in the Chiquitania area," a press release from the European Union.
The E.U. statement added that "a representative from the European Office for Humanitarian Aid - ECHO will arrive in the next few hours to the country to assess the emergency on site".
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