Bolivia’s Silent Destruction

Abstract: Since 2019, policies encouraging land burning promoted by the authoritarian governments of Evo Morales and Luis Arce have led to massive deforestation, biodiversity loss, and threats to indigenous communities. The regime uses fire as a political and economic tool, enabling patronage, land grabs, and illicit activities, while silencing dissent. And Bolivia is not alone: Around the world, authoritarian governments are adopting policies that sacrifice ecosystems and biodiversity for economic gain, often under the guise of development initiatives or agricultural expansion. Yet lack of press freedom and censorship of local NGOs inside these countries keep such disasters out of the international news. Bolivia’s silent destruction mirrors environmental crises in other authoritarian regimes, raising urgent questions about authoritarian governance and the fate of the environment. Democratic governance is the only sustainable path to environmental protection.