Guatemala was not able to carry out its plans to fight forest fires in 2003 because 62 percent of the million-dollar budget was misappropriated by the officials of the previous administration, the new presidential spokesman, Eduardo González, told Tierramérica. “The diversion of most of the funds prevented the implementation of the planned policies and the effective fight against the fires that consumed 425,000 hectares of forests,” said the official.

According to González, the new government of Oscar Berger has earmarked a budget similar to that of 2003 to fight forest fires.

The efforts will be supported with military patrols by land and air, mostly in the northern department of El Petén, which is hardest hit by the fires.