Bolivia declares state of emergency over El Nino

Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz signed a decree declaring a nationwide state of emergency to deploy rescue teams and free resources as the country grapples with severe flooding and drought linked to the El Nino weather pattern, which government reports say has affected 78,000 families and caused over 75,000 cattle deaths.

Why it matters. The emergency declaration affects Bolivia's disaster response capacity and highlights the growing regional impact of a strong El Nino event already causing wildfires in Peru and record rains in Chile.