MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

FBI asked to help Chubut in National Park fire case

Governor Torres and Ambassador Stanley discussed US cooperation

The Argentine province of Chubut has asked the US Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) for help in the probe into the fires in the Los Alerces National Park, Governor Ignacio Torres announced after meeting with US Ambassador Marc Stanley. “We need to find those responsible as soon as possible, and that there is an exemplary measure in the courts,” said Torres about the catastrophe that has been ongoing since Jan. 25 in which some 8,000 hectares have already been burned down.

“We are going to request the FBI's assistance in the surveys to be carried out in the areas affected by the fire, to find those responsible as soon as possible,” he also wrote on X. “The cooperation of the Embassy is essential to put a definitive stop to the threats that the province of Chubut suffers every year due to intentional fires,” the governor added.

“Using the FBI's technology and experience will allow us to speed up the investigation, which unfortunately is often not the time required and deserved by the people of Chubut,” he went on. “We need to find those responsible as soon as possible, and that there is an exemplary measure in the courts so that this type of crime does not happen again. That is why the agreement we signed today with the Embassy is so important,” Torres noted.

“From now on we are also going to work together with the United States in the fight against illegal fishing, which affects the sovereignty of our seas and brings very important economic damages to the nation and to the province of Chubut,” he also pointed out.

The US Embassy has contributed US$ 20,000 to the Solidarity Fund promoted by the Government of Chubut to assist firefighters.