LatinNews Daily - 19 January 2026

*Chile’s President Gabriel Boric has declared a state of catastrophe in the southern regions of Ñuble and Biobío due to wildfires that have left almost 20 dead. In a social media post yesterday (18 January), Boric said he had met with local and national authorities in Concepción, the capital of Biobío region, to monitor efforts to combat the forest fires and to “expedite all State resources for fire control and the protection of lives”. While Boric said that the number of dead had been confirmed at 18, he added that “we are certain, unfortunately, that this figure is going to rise”. Chile’s disaster response agency (Senapred) last night updated the death toll to 19 and said that over 50,000 people had been evacuated and 25,000 hectares affected in Ñuble and Biobío, as well as La Araucanía, immediately south of Biobío, by the fires between 17 and 18 January.

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