Tolima governor suspects criminal arson behind massive forest fires

Governor Adriana Matiz of Tolima province warned that organized crime could be behind several forest fires that have scorched roughly 30,000 hectares in central Colombia this month. She cited "serious clues," including local videos of men on motorcycles setting fires and a fire-department report indicating gasoline was used, and lodged a formal complaint with the nation’s attorney general. President Abelardo de la Espriella echoed her concerns, directing law-enforcement to investigate and seeking aid from the United States and Chile to fight the flames.

The region has experienced temperatures more than 2 °C above normal and rainfall 30 % below average, according to the environmental agency Cortolima. In the hardest-hit area, 50 houses and nearly 8,000 hectares of crops have been lost, leaving farmers without corn or lemon harvests and threatening cattle feed, though no fatalities have been reported. Authorities suspect the arson may be intended to distract police from gold-mining operations that benefit armed groups.