Mario Marcel on Thursday turned in his resignation as Chile's Finance Minister, just one day after Esteban Valenzuela left Agriculture. While Marcel's decision was reported to be due to strictly personal reasons, Valenzuela's departure just seven months from the end of President Gabriel Boric Font's term follows alliances ahead of this year's elections.
Chile has officially recognized the Brazilian State of Paraná as a region free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination, allowing imports of pork from this area, it was announced Wednesday during President Gabriel Boric Font's visit to South America's largest country, and confirmed by Chile’s Agriculture Minister Esteban Valenzuela. Chile has also been reported to be negotiating meat imports from other Brazilian states, meeting its phytosanitary standards. In exchange, Brazil has opened its market to Chilean honey imports.
Chile's Government Friday announced it was extending the agricultural emergency stemming from a water deficit due to poor rains, it was reported in Santiago. With this measure, authorities may keep up the aid to producers from Atacama to Magallanes until Sept. 30, 2024.
The Government of Chile has declared a “red alert” in the central part of the country due to the heat wave stemming from 39 major forest fires as the wave keeps spreading throughout the country, most of them in Araucania (17) but also in Bío Bío (7), Ñuble (7), Maule (4), Los Lagos (3), and one in the Santiago Metropolitan Region.
Chile has decided to extend for three months the agriculture emergency decree to 231 farming communities in the central part of the country because of the lack of rainfall and severe drought.