Michel Esquerré, national president of PymeMad, and Víctor Sandoval, regional president of PymeMad Biobío-Ñuble, participated in the strategic meeting convened by Regional Governor Sergio Giacaman to coordinate the private sector's response to the catastrophe caused by the forest fires.

The meeting, held at the facilities of the Biobío Regional Government, brought together the main productive associations of the region along with representatives from affected companies and the Desafío Levantemos Chile foundation. The purpose of the meeting was to convene the different regional actors to provide immediate support and establish the coordination framework to avoid duplication of efforts in the coming weeks.

During the meeting, Esquerré provided preliminary data on the impact on the forestry sector: "There is damage that, according to our preliminary figures, could reach 24 thousand hectares, with a strong impact on small and medium-sized forest property owners in Biobío," explained the association leader. Furthermore, he made available to the regional government all the knowledge and solutions developed through BIOBÍO Madera to address the housing crisis that this catastrophe will generate, warning that "the reconstruction must be fast and effective, it cannot be a case like Valparaíso and Viña del Mar in 2024."

Governor Giacaman delegated the coordination of this first stage to the CPC Biobío and Desafío Levantemos Chile, focusing on fire control and the provision of basic needs such as water, food, and clothing. A second meeting is scheduled for next Wednesday to assess the situation and address the challenges of reconstruction in greater depth.

PymeMad's participation in this meeting reaffirms the association's commitment to regional development and the protection of small and medium-sized forest owners who constitute the productive base of the territory.