Colombian officials say criminal groups could have set Tolima forest fires

Bogota, Colombia (AP) — Colombia's Tolima province governor, Adriana Matiz, suggested on Tuesday that criminal organizations may be responsible for some of the forest fires that have ravaged nearly 30,000 hectares of land in the central region this month. Speaking in an interview, Matiz stated there are "serious clues" pointing to sabotage as the cause of certain fires, and she filed a complaint with the country's attorney general.

Videos captured by locals depict men on motorcycles igniting some areas, she claimed. Additionally, a local fire department report indicated gasoline was utilized to ignite one fire. Matiz alleged that armed groups might be employing the fires to divert law enforcement from a crucial area where criminal groups generate revenue from gold mining operations.

President Abelardo de la Espriella expressed apprehension on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, warning that some fires could have been deliberately set and requested law enforcement to investigate. He also sought assistance from the governments of the United States and Chile to combat the fires. Tolima experienced unusually high temperatures this month, which averaged more than 2 degrees Celsius above the monthly average in certain areas, while rainfall was 30% less than normal, according to the province's environmental agency, Cortolima.

Other Colombian provinces, including Cundinamarca, Valle del Cauca, Narino, and Boyaca, have also faced forest fires this month. In Tolima, the region most affected by the fires, 50 homes and approximately 8,000 hectares of farmland have been destroyed, resulting in no reported fatalities.