During an official emergency briefing with public authorities in the department of Tolima, the Minister of the Interior, Rodrigo Lara, referred to the hypotheses that allegedly link the origin of the conflagrations to criminal organizations. On this matter, in a public statement, the official affirmed that “measures will be taken to basically investigate the criminal hands that may be causing these fires.”
The information handled by the national Government points to illicit activities of groups dedicated to illegal mining and structures of the FARC dissidents. According to initial investigations, these criminal groups would be setting fires in municipalities such as Ortega with the purpose of distracting the Public Force, obstructing security schemes, and inducing a state of disorder.
Alongside these accusations, the Minister of the Interior delivered a strong message to the groups outside the law. Lara emphasized that judicial prosecution will remain in force without impunity for every crime or criminal action committed.
‘Front lines’ at emergency response sites
Another point identified by investigative bodies lies in the coordinated movement of people towards priority areas where rescuers and emergency units operate. In municipalities of Tolima and sectors of Valle del Cauca, such as Cali, the arrival of small groups posing as volunteers has been detected.
According to official reports, revealed by Minister Lara, these people break into operations “they move from the fire-fighting focus to sow chaos, sow disorder. They insult firefighters, shout political slogans, sow discord,” said the Minister of the Interior.
These behaviors put at risk both the work of rescue personnel and the lives of the uniformed officers attending emergencies on the ground.
The Ministry of the Interior classified these dynamics as tactics associated with fronts of struggle or strategies of social destabilization aimed at eroding governance and constructing a false narrative of state ineffectiveness.
Democratic guarantees and defense of the constitutional order
In light of this situation, the authorities reaffirmed the institutional commitment to safeguard the constitutional order and guarantee the full exercise of democratic rights. However, the Executive specified that political demonstrations cannot interfere with the procedures of rescue bodies nor threaten collective security amid natural disasters or environmental emergencies.
The investigations will involve coordination between the national Government, departmental administrations, the Attorney General’s Office and the Public Force to identify and prosecute those involved in provoking or instrumentalizing these conflagrations.
*Article developed with AI support and reviewed by a journalist.
