Bolivia declares emergency as El Nino intensifies, threatens severe weather

Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz has declared a national state of emergency to mobilize resources and strengthen disaster response as the country braces for severe droughts and flooding linked to the El Nino weather phenomenon . "This will be a phenomenon that will have very severe impacts in terms of drought and floods, and we need the cooperation of all institutions," Paz said. The president's decree allows the deployment of additional rescue teams and calls for coordination between national and regional authorities, the armed forces and police. Authorities have also warned of potential floods, flash floods, and landslides as the rainy season begins.