BOGOTA, Colombia — Authorities in Colombia suspect that criminal organizations may be deliberately igniting some of the devastating forest fires that have consumed nearly 30,000 hectares (74,131 acres) of land across the country's central region this month.
Adriana Matiz, the governor of the hard-hit Tolima province, revealed on Tuesday that there are "serious clues" pointing toward sabotage. The governor has already submitted a formal complaint to the Colombian attorney general's office to initiate a criminal investigation.
According to Matiz, local residents have captured video footage of men riding motorcycles and setting fires in various areas. Furthermore, a report from a local fire department confirmed that gasoline was utilized to spark at least one of the blazes. Matiz suggested that armed groups might be orchestrating the fires as a diversionary tactic to draw law enforcement away from strategic zones where these criminal networks operate profitable illegal gold mines.
Colombia's President, Abelardo de la Espriella, also voiced deep concern over the situation. In a social media post on X on Monday, the president stated that some of the wildfires may have been started intentionally and confirmed he had ordered law enforcement agencies to investigate. To combat the spreading flames, De la Espriella has reached out to the governments of the United States and Chile to request international assistance.
The fires have been fueled by extreme weather conditions. The regional environmental agency, Cortolima, reported that temperatures in Tolima have soared more than 2 degrees Celsius above average in certain areas this month, while rainfall has plummeted 30% below normal levels.
While Tolima has suffered the most severe damage, forest fires have also broken out in several other Colombian provinces, including Cundinamarca, Valle del Cauca, Narino, and Boyaca.
In Tolima alone, the fires have destroyed 50 homes and nearly 8,000 hectares of agricultural land, though no casualties have been reported. The destruction of crops has sparked fears of a looming local economic emergency.
“We have people who lost all of their corn crop, or their lemons. People who have no way to feed their cattle,” Governor Matiz said. “We are going to face a strong economic crisis that we are starting to prepare for.”
