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Acoforag stated that fire law should cover everything from prevention to crime investigation

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•The initiative gains relevance because it provides tools to the prosecutor's office to determine who is responsible for causing forest fires.

The Association of Forestry Contractors A.G. (Acoforag) highlighted the importance of having a fire law, projects whose processing has been slower than expected according to a report by Vértice TV.

The initiative gains relevance because it provides tools to the prosecutor's office to determine who is responsible for causing forest fires. However, they point out, it is essential to work on creating a good law and not what is currently being proposed.

René Muñoz, manager of Acoforag, stated that it does not have to be comprehensive, covering everything related to a forest fire. "From prevention, through crime investigation, firefighting, but also how to restore what is burned, what is destroyed. So, the current bill mainly penalizes the owner of a project for fires that occur. But what about intentionality toward a forest owner whose project is intentionally burned? He is responsible for that," he affirmed.

Therefore, he said the law must address this. "Thus, it's not just about saying that the owner has to worry about generating protection and fire mitigation plans, but what does the State do? The State is responsible for combating crime, intentionality. So, that concept is what is missing in this law today, as well as how we can recover what is burned," he stated.

Regarding sanctions, the association emphasizes the importance of equipping the Prosecutor's Office with technological means to punish those responsible for fires.

"Today, the law establishes very high penalties, up to twenty years in prison, but that same concept of high penalties requires solid evidence. That is where efforts must also focus—on providing prosecutors with tools, technology, and resources so they can gather evidence and send criminals to jail," Muñoz indicated.

He added that, as a concept and figure, last year there were approximately 990 complaints filed for fires, with only two arrests. "So, with that level of investigation effectiveness, the truth is that burning and destroying the country is free today," he stressed.

The initiative is being referred to the Senate Agriculture Committee, where other organizations like Corma have raised the need for amendments, including aspects such as the necessity to fight fires both day and night.