Colombia authorities investigate arson and mining links amid forest fires

Authorities in Colombia are responding to a series of forest fires and related criminal investigations. In Pasto, a man was arrested for allegedly starting a fire near the Loma del Centenario, a strategic area close to residential zones. This incident occurred during a period of increased environmental emergencies in the city, including multiple forest fires and waste burning.

In the Tolima department, police arrested a 20-year-old man in flagrante delicto for setting fire to vegetation along a national highway in the Armero Guayabal sector. The individual was handed over to the Prosecutor's Office to face arson charges.

Separately, Senator Kevin Gómez of the Pacto Histórico has raised concerns regarding a potential link between forest fires and mining interests in Tolima. Gómez alleged that fires may be used to degrade vegetation cover to facilitate changes in land use for mining projects. He noted that approximately 650 mining title requests cover 760,000 hectares in the department, including 311 related to fracking. The senator has called for authorities to freeze mining permit processes in fire-affected areas, specifically citing a request in the Chaparral peasant reserve by Cementos San Marcos.