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The valuable wood from the San Rafael Municipal Reserve is highly sought after in the construction market. Photo by Iván Paredes.
In Bolivia’s San Rafael Municipal Reserve, illegal encroachments, known locally as “avasallamientos,” were causing significant deforestation and environmental degradation. A November 2023 report by Mongabay’s Spanish-language news bureau, Mongabay Latam, revealed that these invasions, mainly driven by corn and soybean cultivation, illegal logging, and the commercialization of precious wood, were rapidly destroying this protected area and leading to significant forest loss. Through diligent investigative work, Mongabay Latam brought these critical issues to light, prompting action from local authorities to safeguard the reserve.
Revealing deforestation in San Rafael Municipal Reserve
The invaders continue to gather the remains of the trees they destroy to burn them on site. Photo by Municipality of San Rafael de Velasco.
The extensive deforestation poses severe environmental challenges in a protected area that supports diverse wildlife, including 83, 69, and 26 species of fish, birds, and mammals, respectively. Approximately 3% of the reserve, equating to 2,074 hectares, is illegally occupied by settlers primarily from western Bolivia, according to calculations by the Forest Management Office of the Mayor’s Office of San Rafael de Velasco. Near real-time satellite imagery from Global Forest Watch (GFW) registered over 15,000 deforestation alerts in the past two years, highlighting the severity of the situation.
Apart from destroying trees, the deforestation is also impacting water availability and threatening the ecological connectivity between the dry Chiquitano forest and the Pantanal wetlands. Mongabay Latam, in collaboration with El Deber, traveled to the region to verify the GFW alerts and document the extent of the damage.
Real-world impact
The invaders burned the land where they would enter after cutting down the trees. Photo by Iván Paredes.
While ground truthing the deforestation, Mongabay Latam contributor Iván Paredes Tamayo contacted Jorge Vargas, the mayor of San Rafael de Velasco. When the mayor learned of the increase in encroachment, he accompanied the journalist to the reserve. Vargas saw firsthand the burned areas described by the journalistic team, confirmed that the felled wood was being sold, and also saw the remains of the logs being turned into charcoal in ovens near the reserve.
Following this experience, the mayor asked the National Institute of Agrarian Reform and the Social Control of Forests and Land to confirm the encroachments and ask the invaders to leave. This response highlights the power of investigative journalism to inspire informed action and protect vulnerable ecosystems.
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