Southern Cone in January 2026: the most important developments in society
In January 2026, wildfires dominated the news from the Southern Cone. Fires spread across central and southern Chile amid extreme heat and strong winds, forcing tens of thousands of people to leave their homes, with one report putting the number at 50,000. Chile declared a state of catastrophe, and by 20 January the death toll stood at no fewer than 20, with more than 7,200 people affected. Commentators compared the disaster with the country's 2010 fires, and calls were made for a new fire prevention law. Argentina's Patagonia also saw large fires: one blaze there had burned more than 5,500 hectares by 11 January, and the fires continued to spread at the end of the month.
In Argentina, President Javier Milei was the subject of several stories. His speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos drew varied reactions, and he was criticised for singing while the Patagonia fires were spreading. Late in the month he condemned antisemitism and linked it to the left and to Islamist terror. Separately, an old antisemitic conspiracy theory resurfaced in connection with the Patagonia fires, and an observatory affiliated with Egypt's Al-Azhar institution warned of death threats against Muslim children in Argentina.
On the health side, the H3N2 influenza virus had spread to 14 Argentine provinces by 20 January, with one related death reported by health authorities.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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