Bolivia is suffocating. The air is polluted by gigantic forest fires which are ravaging the country. Because of this air pollution, tens of thousands of students are temporarily deprived of school, the authorities announced this Wednesday.
The government suspended classes from Wednesday to Friday in most cities in four of Bolivia’s nine departments. A measure which could be extended next week. The Minister of Education, Edgar Pary, indicated during a press conference that “3,650 educational units are concerned”, or 15% of all schools in the country. However, he did not specify the number of students impacted.
Two million hectares gone up in smoke
Classes had already been suspended last week in Santa Cruz (east), the economic powerhouse and most populous city in Bolivia. The measure now concerns public and private schools in La Paz (west), Cochabamba (center) and Beni (north-east).
According to the Environment Ministry, some 2 million hectares of forests and pastures have burned since the start of the year due to the drought hitting the Andean country. The sky over the capital La Paz and Santa Cruz is obscured by black smoke. The Minister of Health, Maria René Castro, recommended that residents wear masks and invited the elderly, children and pregnant women to remain confined to their homes.