Israeli tourists accused of starting fires in Chile and Argentina
While firefighters in South America struggle to contain raging forest fires that are consuming thousands of acres in the Patagonia region between Chile and Argentina, a new crisis has emerged that has sparked widespread controversy, involving accusations that Israeli tourists are involved in starting these fires, whether through negligence or deliberately.
Arrest in Chile and formal charges
The story began making headlines on January 15th when Chilean authorities announced the arrest of an Israeli tourist inside the renowned Torres del Paine National Park in the Magallanes region. According to CNN Chile and Radio BioBio, the tourist was detained in the Dixon Camp area for using a fire pit in an unauthorized area, a clear violation of nature reserve regulations.
The judicial authorities took the incident very seriously, as the accused appeared before the Guarantee Court in Puerto Natales, and was formally charged with using heating sources in protected wilderness areas, and was subjected to strict precautionary measures including preventing him from leaving the region and imposing a weekly attendance record with the police.
Political accusations in Argentina
On the other side of the border, specifically in Argentina, the issue took on a larger political and public dimension. Prominent opposition figures directly accused groups of Israeli tourists of starting the fires in the south of the country. Among them was former Chief of Staff of the Army, César Milani, who indicated on social media that there were suspicions of arson.
Former government official Luis Delia further reinforced this narrative by posting a video of a local resident claiming to have tried to stop a group of Israelis from setting fire to the dense forests, which intensified public anger towards these alleged actions.
Historical context and regional sensitivity
To understand the heightened sensitivity towards Israeli tourists in that particular region, we need to go back a little. Patagonia is a popular destination for young Israelis after completing their military service, in what is known as the "Great Journey." However, the region has a painful history with similar incidents; in 2011, an Israeli tourist named Rotem Singer caused a massive fire in the same national park (Torres del Paine), destroying more than 17,000 hectares of pristine forest—an environmental disaster whose effects are still felt today.
Environmental importance and impact of fires
These events are of paramount importance given the ecological value of Patagonia, a natural lung and home to unique and rare biodiversity. These fires are occurring at a time when the world is grappling with climate crises, making any damage to these forests a disaster that transcends local boundaries and becomes an international environmental concern. The recurrence of such incidents also threatens the tourism sector, on which the economies of local communities in both Chile and Argentina depend, prompting authorities to impose strict penalties to deter any reckless behavior that could lead to forest fires.
