The national government published this Thursday in the Official Gazette the decree that declares the Igneous Emergency and the disaster zone in Chubut, Río Negro, Neuquén and La Pampa. Presented as a response to the fires that devastate territories, homes, sources of work and ecosystems, the decree does not grant no extraordinary budget itemnor does it reinforce existing resources. It is nothing more than a set of generalities that do not modify in any way the real capacity to prevent and combat fire.
The text is limited to listing actions already provided for in current legislation and decrees—prevention, combat, assistance and restoration—and entrusting their coordination to the Federal Emergency Agency (AFE), without allocating specific funds or restoring the cut items. Where is the “emergency”?
What the numbers show: minimum execution and adjustment to firefighting
A report from the Environment and Natural Resources Foundation (FARN) reveals the lack of execution of firefighting items. During the first 28 days of the year, the national State allocated $544.43 million to address the situation generated by the fires, all funds already contemplated in the 2026 Budget and without any type of budget expansionbut also the underexecution is generalized:
- National Fire Management Service (SNMF): executed only $207.55 million out of $20,130.71 million available, that is, only 1%.
- Assistance to Volunteer Firefighters: $16.96 million were executed out of $129,584.99 million, 0.1%.
- Fire Management in National Parks (APN): $221.11 million executed out of $6,805.18 million, just 3.25%.
In the area of emergencies and risk management, the situation is not much better:
- Federal Emergency Support: $70.97 million executed on $1,652.52 million (4.29%).
- SINAGIR shares: $5.1 million out of $92.52 million (5.5%).
- Federal Security Programming: 0% execution.
- Attention to Emergencies due to Natural Disasters and Public Health: 0% execution.
These data refute any story of a “historical response” as Milei says on the networks. The government’s overreaction is only discursive, but indignation against the handover of Patagonia continues to grow.
Volunteer firefighters: a bombastic announcement to comply—late—with the law
In parallel, the government announced a change of $100 billion for volunteer firefighters, presented as an exceptional event. However, these funds are contemplated in the Volunteer Firefighters Law No. 25,054 and do not constitute any extraordinary expansion. Far from being an achievement, the advertisement attempts to cover up that During 2025 there were claims for delays in the transfer of these resourcesaffecting the operational capacity of the barracks in the middle of the fire season.
In this way, the partial and late fulfillment of a basic legal obligation is celebrated, while the structural defunding of the system is maintained.
Where is the money to fight fire?
But if the budget is “saved” for fire fighting, there are other areas that always have an open tap. In Januarythe government allocated 5 billion dollars to pay debtof which almost 2 billion They corresponded only to interest. In Februarya payment to the IMF is due 898 million dollarsequivalent to about $619,000 million that is to say, six times more than what was announced for 1,062 volunteer fire crews throughout the country.
Added to this are the benefits to the concentrated sectors. The elimination of the retentions to the field had an estimated cost of1.5 billion dollarswhile the labor reform has a title with tax benefits for large businessmen in the order of 1.2% to 1.3% of GDPa transfer of approximately 7.5 billion dollars from the State to companies.
Budget now to put out the fires
The fire emergency published in the Official Gazette does not put out fires, does not strengthen brigades or prevent new catastrophes. It is an empty gesture in a context where the government prioritizes debt payment and business profits, while cutting and under-executing environmental and civil protection policies.
Faced with an ongoing ecocide, the official response is once again the same: emergency without budget, propaganda without resources and a State that adjusts where it is most neededwhile keeping open, without limits, the debt tap and the privileges of the concentrated sectors.
The only response comes from the territories with the organization from below between precarious brigade members, volunteer firefighters, communities and solidarity networks. There is no confidence in the governors who request an emergency while their legislators they sign against the Glacier Lawthey voted budget that cuts the Fire Management Service by 70% and negotiate the labor reform that deepens precariousness.
There is no real firefighting without protected water, without labor rights, without the possibility of organizing ourselves. Faced with this plan of looting and delivery by Milei and the provincial governments, it becomes urgent coordinate all the fights: for the budget now, against extractivism, against adjustment and against a policy that sets fire today and prepares even worse catastrophes tomorrow.
Source: www.laizquierdadiario.com
