The forest fires in Patagonia remain active and out of control, with the epicenter in the northwest of the province of Chubut, where the fire has already devastated more than 30,000 hectares of native forests, bushes and exotic plantations. In this context, the leader of the Left Front Myriam Bregman held the provincial and national governments responsible for what she defined as an “environmental and social ecocide.”
The complaint was spread based on a message sent by brigade members fighting the flames in the territory, who warned about the lack of official responses to an emergency that is worsening day after day. In the shared video, the workers point out that for at least ten days they have been demanding solutions to their problems without receiving a response. “Ten days ago we demanded a solution to our problems and we still have no answer. We continue working day after day, night after night,” they expressed.
I share with you this message that the brigade members who fight the fire in Chubut sent me.
The fires in the northwest of Chubut remain active and out of control. More than 30,000 hectares of native forests, bushes and exotic plantations were consumed by… pic.twitter.com/d4FdLpeJ57
— Myriam Bregman (@myriambregman) January 26, 2026
In this context, the brigade members were forceful when pointing out their employment situation: “We are not heroes, we are workers.” Among the central demands they demand a decent salary, job stability and early retirement, in a high-risk task that is carried out in conditions of structural precariousness and with insufficient resources.
The advance of the fire is aggravated by adverse weather conditions and constant changes in wind direction, which makes containment tasks difficult and puts both nearby communities and those facing the fire on the front lines at risk. Despite the magnitude of the environmental disaster, the brigade members denounce the absence of effective responses from the provincial and national governments.
From different sectors it is emphasized that the fires cannot be presented as an inevitable tragedy, but as the result of political decisions, state disinvestment and a model of territorial exploitation that prioritizes business interests over environmental preservation and the life of the communities. In this sense, the need for a comprehensive emergency plan to fight fire is raised, which includes the allocation of special allocations for the incorporation of more modern hydrant planes with greater operational capacity, better salaries and full labor rights for brigade members, and immediate state assistance for families who lost everything.
The environmental crisis that Patagonia is going through once again puts into debate the need for a profound transformation of public policies and the productive model, with a perspective built from workers, affected communities and scientific knowledge, which allows preventing new catastrophes and facing the consequences of predatory policies that deepen environmental and social deterioration.
Source: www.laizquierdadiario.com
