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00:00Bolivian firefighters continue to battle some of the worst wildfires the country has ever
00:05seen. Large portions of the territory have been engulfed by flames for several weeks
00:10now, and even with help from abroad, the fires are out of control. Already more than 7.5
00:16million acres of land have burnt so far, putting Bolivia on track for a record year of fires.
00:22Protesters in La Paz blame the government.
00:26Please realise what is really happening in the country. We've lost millions of hectares,
00:31millions of animals have been burnt to death and it's not fair.
00:37Activists say that by encouraging the expansion of soy and beef exports, the government has
00:41fuelled the burning of rainforests to turn into farmland. Wildfires not only destroy
00:46the Amazon, they also cause dangerous levels of air pollution, many schools closing their
00:51doors to avoid people going outside.
00:54Brazil too is facing a difficult start to the fire season, and the country's space institution
00:59says smoke has already covered about 60% of the territory already. Partly caused by severe
01:05drought, President Lula da Silva says the Amazon is suffering its worst in more than
01:0940 years.
01:12We're certain these events are going to be more frequent over time, and therefore I will
01:17submit a provisional measure to the National Congress to create the legal framework for
01:22climate emergency.
01:26The Amazon and Madeira rivers have also registered new daily record lows, stranding dozens of
01:30communities only accessible by water. It's caused a shortage of drinking water, and even
01:36food is in short supply, with no significant rain expected until October.