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The Gran Chaco forest in Argentina, spanning across parts of Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Brazil, is facing a critical threat from deforestation. Small farmers, enticed by the promise of quick money from selling timber, often contribute to this environmental degradation. However, a collaborative effort between conservationists, NGOs, and international organizations is underway to support small-scale landowners and Indigenous communities in establishing alternative income sources. This initiative aims to enable them to resist the pressures of agribusiness and the timber market. Jorge Luna, a 55-year-old farmer, has taken a significant step towards preserving his 40-hectare land in Chaco province. He rejected an offer to cut down the trees and instead embarked on a second career as a forest tourist guide with Fundación Rewilding Argentina, a non-profit organization working to restore parts of the Gran Chaco forest. Luna now rents out a small campsite to visitors and takes tourists on kayak tours along the Bermejito River. "At first, you didn’t give the plants value. It was a lack of knowledge of what they meant. Now, every leaf that sprouts has an added value," he says. Created in 2010 by Tompkins Conservation, Rewilding aims to protect vast tracts of territory and create economic opportunities for local communities while preserving the biosphere. The organization worked with 15 other organizations to convince the government of Chaco province to turn 128,000 hectares into the El Impenetrable national park, officially designated in 2014. Since then, Rewilding has established a network to support a budding tourism industry. It offers riverside glamping stays while promoting local and ancestral knowledge as possible sources of income. Women have returned to weaving and artisanal production, as well as providing home-cooked meals for visitors. According to Greenpeace, Argentina lost nearly 7 million hectares of native forest between 1998 and 2024, with most of it in the Gran Chaco. An estimated almost 120,000 hectares of forest were lost in northern Argentina in 2024, a 10% increase from the previous year. The primary causes of forest loss are the expansion of agriculture, mainly for intensive cattle ranching and genetically modified soya, and forest fires. The Gran Chaco forest also feeds the timber industry, particularly with the quebracho tree, which produces a tannin used in leather products, and carob trees. Environmental lawyers warn that the Gran Chaco could disappear within two decades if deforestation continues at its current pace. "The Chaco does not receive the same attention as the Amazon – few people even know it exists," says Enrique Viale, an Argentine environmental lawyer and activist. For conservation efforts to succeed, projects must be co-designed with the community, ensuring their long-term objectives are considered. Community empowerment, equal distribution of benefits, and capacity building are crucial factors. Mabel Figueroa, a local weaver, has resumed her craft since the national park opened, selling scarves, blankets, and ponchos to tourists. She raises sheep and dyes their wool with tree bark and forest plants, reviving an ancestral tradition.

A devastating plane crash occurred in the remote municipality of Puerto Leguizamo, Colombia, on March 24, 2026, claiming the lives of at least 34 people and injuring dozens more. The Colombian military plane, a Lockheed Martin-built Hercules C-130, was transporting soldiers to another city in the Putumayo province when it crashed just 1.5km (0.9 miles) away from the takeoff site.The Colombian Minister of Defence, Pedro Sanchez, described the incident as a 'tragic accident' and confirmed that ammunition on board detonated due to a fire on the aircraft. Fortunately, there was no indication of an 'attack by illegal actors,' according to Sanchez.The plane, which had 125 people on board, was carrying soldiers to another city in the Putumayo province. The governor of the Putumayo department, Jhon Gabriel Molina, reported that 34 people were killed and 21 are still to be identified.To provide medical assistance to the injured, the Colombian Air Force deployed two planes with 74 beds to fly the wounded to hospitals in the capital, Bogota, and other locations. This tragic incident is a stark reminder of the risks associated with military and civilian aviation.The Colombian Air Force has operated the Hercules C-130 since the late 1960s, with some of the older models recently modernized. This incident comes on the heels of another Hercules C-130 crash in Bolivia last month, which resulted in over 20 fatalities and 30 injuries.