Beekeeper Gildardo Urrego cleans a poisoned beehive at his apiary in Santa Fe de Antioquia, Antioquia department, Colombia, on January 31, 2021. Photo: VCG

Colombia lost more than 1,700 square kilometers of forest in 2020, an area the size of the capital Bogota and an 8 percent increase from 2019, the environment ministry said Wednesday.

Some 64 percent of wildfires and deforestation affected the Amazon, the world's largest tropical rainforest that is shared with eight other countries and territories.

"That's where we have to make the most efforts," said Environment and Sustainable Development Minister Carlos Correa. 

Francisco Cruz, deputy environment minister, said the 2020 increase is due to the influence of armed groups that encourage illegal logging by farmers. Leftist guerrillas, drug-traffickers and smugglers all operate in the Amazon.

Deforestation has soared since a 2016 peace accord between the government and leftist rebels. In 2017 it reached a record level of 2,170 square kilometers.

President Ivan Duque, who came to power in 2018, has deployed the army to combat deforestation.

According to the ministry, the main causes of deforestation are illegal land grabs for cattle ranching and the clandestine roads construction. Illegal coca plantations, mining and logging are other main causes.

AFP