Government Blames FARC Dissidents and Illegal Miners for Tolima Wildfires, Offers Reward

Interior Minister Rodrigo Lara said authorities were investigating whether FARC dissidents and networks tied to illegal mining around Ortega, Tolima were deliberately setting forest fires to 'sow chaos and distract the public force' amid the earthquake response. Tolima's government registered 14 major fires attended by 182 firefighters and 306 rescue personnel backed by military aircraft, with El Niño conditions fueling the blazes. Tolima Governor Adriana Magali Matiz Vargas offered a 100-million-peso reward for information on those responsible. Former President Gustavo Petro publicly disputed the government's framing, accusing Lara of scapegoating protest-linked 'first line' groups instead of addressing the fires' environmental causes.