Colombian officials say criminal groups could have set Tolima forest fires

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — The governor of Colombia’s Tolima province, Adriana Matiz, stated on Tuesday that criminal groups may have instigated some of the forest fires that have ravaged nearly 30,000 hectares (74,131 acres) of land in the central region this month. In an interview, Matiz hinted at "serious clues" pointing to sabotage, including reports of men on motorcycles igniting fires in certain areas.

She also revealed that a local fire department report indicated the use of gasoline in one incident. Matiz suggested that armed groups might be using the fires to divert law enforcement attention from a strategic region where criminal enterprises profit from gold mines. President Abelardo de la Espriella expressed worry over the possibility of deliberate fires and requested assistance from the United States and Chile to combat the blazes.

Elevated temperatures, exceeding 2 degrees Celsius above average in some regions, coupled with a 30% reduction in rainfall, according to the province’s environmental agency, Cortolima, have contributed to the heightened fire risk. Other Colombian provinces have also faced forest fires this month, such as Cundinamarca, Valle del Cauca, Narino, and Boyaca.

In Tolima, the hardest-hit area, 50 homes and roughly 8,000 hectares of farmland have been destroyed by the fires, resulting in no reported fatalities. Matiz warned of an imminent economic crisis as residents experience losses, including the obliteration of their corn crops, lemon groves, and cattle.