Bolivia declares state of emergency over El Nino

Bolivia's President Rodrigo Paz has declared a state of emergency in response to the devastating effects of El Nino, a weather phenomenon causing both drought and flooding across the country. The decree aims to mobilize resources to address the crisis, which has impacted 78,000 families in six of Bolivia's nine departments, leading to the loss of over 75,000 head of cattle.

In his address to the nation, Paz emphasized the severe impact El Nino will have, both in terms of drought and floods, and stressed the need for cooperation from all institutions. El Nino, characterized by warmer surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, disrupts winds, pressure, and rainfall patterns worldwide.

The United Nations has warned that the current El Nino could be unprecedented, potentially causing havoc in Latin America, eastern and southern Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. Bolivia's neighbors have also been affected; Peru has experienced increased temperatures and wildfires, resulting in at least 12 deaths, while Chile has seen the rainiest October ever recorded in Santiago.