"There are serious wildfires in Amazonia. They harm the lungs of our planet and jeopardize citizens’ health. Today, I talked to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and Bolivian President Evo Morales and offered them Chile’s help in fighting the fires," Pinera wrote on Twitter late on Thursday.
Los incendios forestales en #Amazonas son graves, afectan los pulmones de nuestro planeta y ponen en riesgo la salud de sus habitantes. Hoy conversé con Presidentes de Brasil @jairBolsonaro y Bolivia @Evoespueblo y les ofrecí la ayuda de Chile para combatir los incendios. pic.twitter.com/oMG1bJAKvl
— Sebastian Piñera (@sebastianpinera) August 22, 2019
According to the satellite data provided by the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE), this year, the wildfire area increased by 82 percent compared to 2018. Experts from across the world are warning about grave consequences of the fires.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron called the situation an international crisis, prompting criticism on behalf of Bolsonaro, who accused Macron of pursuing colonialist views.