Francisco Ruiz-Tagle on forest fires: “There are a lot of rumors and fake news going around.
CMPC CEO Francisco Ruiz-Tagle spoke on the Mesa Central program of Tele13 Radio about a possible new regulation for the forestry company and addressed the discussion about the myths and realities of monocultures and the intentionality behind these fires.
In the midst of the crisis over forest fires in south-central Chile, the CMPC Companies CEO spoke with Iván Valenzuela on the Mesa Central program, in which he mentioned the new regulation for the forestry company announced by the government. “We are absolutely dedicated to fighting fires, as we’ve said before, and the situation remains critical (…) That said, we are always fully available to participate in conversations, and once this crisis is over, we are open to reviewing everything in terms of our practices and making improvements based on this experience.”
He added that disinformation and rumors about the industry have been flying around due to this emergency. “There are a lot of rumors and fake news going around. The forestry industry here in Chile is subject to the most demanding international certifications, which are the same as those of the Nordic countries that we often admire. We fully comply with them.”
Furthermore, regarding the intentionality behind the fires, he pointed out that although the conditions do exist for fires to spread, they are caused by people nearly 100% of the time, which encompasses both intentionality and negligence. He also addressed the assistance provided by the company for deploying material resources and fire brigades to put out fires and in supporting affected communities.
