BOGOTA, Colombia — The governor of Colombia’s Tolima province said Tuesday that criminal groups could be behind some of the forest fires that have burned nearly 30,000 hectares (about 74,000 acres) of land this month in the central region of the country.
In an interview, Governor Adriana Matiz said there are “serious clues” indicating that saboteurs caused some of the blazes and that she has filed a complaint with Colombia’s attorney general.
Matiz said locally filmed videos show men on motorcycles setting fires in certain areas, and a report from a local fire department indicated gasoline was used to ignite one of the fires.
She added that armed groups might be exploiting the fires to divert law enforcement attention from a strategic zone where they profit from illegal gold mining.
President Abelardo de la Espriella posted on X on Monday expressing concern that some fires may have been deliberately set and said he has directed law‑enforcement agencies to investigate.
De la Espriella also requested assistance from the governments of the United States and Chile to help extinguish the flames.
According to the provincial environmental agency Cortolima, temperatures in Tolima this month have exceeded averages by more than 2 °C in some areas, while rainfall has been roughly 30 % below normal.
Other Colombian provinces, including Cundinamarca, Valle del Cauca, Nariño and Boyacá, have also reported forest fires this month.
In Tolima, the hardest‑hit region, the fires have destroyed 50 homes and almost 8,000 hectares of farmland, though no fatalities have been reported.
“Many people have lost their entire corn crops or lemon harvests, and some have no feed for their cattle,” Matiz said. “We are preparing for a severe economic crisis as a result.”
