More than 100 hectares were reduced to ashes, with serious environmental, economic and social repercussions.
Once again, the forest crops of the Smurfit Kappa Colombia company were reduced to ashes on August 2, 3 and 4, 2023. It was an indiscriminate burning of about 100 hectares of their plantations, located in the municipality of Cajibío, Cauca, that company said.
In addition, on August 4, while the trees were burning, the criminals burned three lumber trucks, in addition to the theft of two trucks. The subjects, who were armed, entered the Company’s farms in the village of La Primavera and forcibly took five of the forestry workers, who are now safe; however, Smurfit brought the case to the attention of the respective authorities, through a complaint.
This is not the first time that this multinational has been the victim of criminal hands. It reports that from May 7, 2023 to date, the Company has had to manage 43 illegal forest fires that have started on its properties located in the municipality of Cajibío. These fires have left as a balance 176 hectares of affected forest plantations, as well as serious environmental, economic and social repercussions.
This is evident in the destruction and contamination of natural forests, fauna, soil, air, and water resources in the Cajibío, Rio Negro, and Cerro Gordo river basins, and in the La Pedregosa, La Venta, and The Tiger. It is also evident in the violation of the right to work of forestry employees, whose work is limited by the high risk of the fire in its expansion and by the low visibility and difficulty breathing due to the large amount of smoke in the air. Additionally, the free mobility of forestry workers and inhabitants of the region has been affected due to the danger involved in mobilizing in areas surrounded by fire, said the company.
Under this scenario, Smurfit Kappa Colombia reiterates the calls that it has previously made to the regional and national territorial, control and public force authorities, so that the necessary attention measures are taken in order to maintain healthy coexistence, coexistence in the territory and avoid the escalation of the affectations that are being generated as a result of this situation.