According to this Spanish language article, 2019 was a calamitous year for Bolivia’s environment due to the fact that more than 5 million acres were burned, as well as “controversial norms, protests against extractive projects, threats to protected areas and conflicts over lithium.”
“In April 2019, a report published by the World Resources Institute (WRI) revealed that Bolivia was ranked fifth among the countries that lost the most forest cover in the world during 2018. After the forest fires, the figures have exponentially elevated.”
For both Miguel Ángel Crespo, director of Biosphere Environment Productivity (Probioma) and Ruth Alipaz, indigenous leader of the Coordinator of Defense of Indigenous, Native, Peasant and Protected Areas (Contiocap), “the announcement made by Añez's management on reforestation in the Chiquitanía sows doubts” about the intentions of the transitional government since the announcement was made by the Minister of Environment and Water following a meeting with the agricultural sector.
Per Pablo Villegas of Cedib “From the scientific point of view, what corresponds is a natural recovery of Chiquitania. But when the minister and other sectors talk about reforestation, I fear that we are looking to definitely introduce agribusiness to this territory and that reforestation is done with eucalyptus”
Ruth Alipaz is quoted in this article: “The former Minister of Public Works (Yerko Nunez) said that the Chepete-El Bala hydroelectric plant was unfeasible, but there are ministers and government officials who are committed to continuing Morales’ management projects.”