Argentina’s wildfire crisis deepens as government targets Indigenous communities

Wildfires in Argentina’s Patagonia have destroyed more than 35,000 hectares, but instead of prioritizing environmental protection, the government has cut fire management budgets and intensified crackdowns on Indigenous communities.

Saskia Marisha Fischer and Gioia Claro report for The Guardian.

In short:

• Fires have swept across Patagonia’s Rio Negro and Chubut provinces, forcing evacuations and destroying homes, forests, and farmland. Dry conditions, high winds, and rising temperatures have worsened the crisis.
• President Javier Milei, who dismisses climate change as a “socialist lie,” has slashed Argentina’s environmental budgets, including an 81% cut to the National Fire Management System.
• Authorities have responded with aggressive policing, raiding Mapuche communities and Indigenous media outlets while prioritizing extractive industries such as mining and tourism.

Key quote:

“The kind of state that Milei is proposing, an eviscerated state, is the one that isn’t where it should be right now, putting out the fires.”

— Mauro Millán, Mapuche organizer

Why this matters:

Patagonia’s wildfires highlight the growing pressures of climate change, land conflicts, and government policies that undermine environmental and Indigenous protections. While scientists warn that rising temperatures fuel extreme fires, Argentina’s leadership is rolling back regulations and cutting fire management funding. The government’s crackdown on Indigenous groups, combined with policies favoring extractive industries, raises concerns about human rights and environmental destruction. Similar patterns have played out in neighboring Chile, where pine plantations and land disputes have contributed to devastating blazes.

Related: Chile's battle with climate-induced wildfires intensifies