To prison six years if they cause fires
To prison six years if they cause fires
10 November 2017
published by http://www.eldiariodecoahuila.com.mx
MEXICO: The new Criminal Code of Coahuila provides for up to six years in prison and a fine of up to a thousand days of minimum wage to anyone who causes a forest fire, and the sanction may be increased if the fire consumes property or infrastructure in the forests.
The criminal legislation recently approved by the State Congress retained the section on environmental crimes and sanctions for causing forest fires.
In addition to the Federal Attorney’s Office for Environmental Protection, the State Attorney’s Office also has the authority and the legal tools to proceed against anyone who causes a forest fire.
Whoever is shown to be deceitful in the provocation of a disaster, in a forest, park or square, the penalty ranges from two to six years in prison, plus a fine of 500 to a thousand days of minimum wage.
Article 429 of the Penal Code specifies that the penalty applies to anyone who causes damage to a forest or green area that is not under federal jurisdiction or is under state administration.
Article 421 includes aggravating circumstances, where the punishment ranges from three to nine years in prison, when the fire extends to more than two hectares, or regardless of its extension, it is caused in a protected natural area, in an ecological restoration zone or in a conservation district, within the jurisdiction of the State or any of its municipalities.
It also warns that if the forest fire causes damage to another’s property, harms the life or health of one or more people, the contest of the appropriate crimes is applied.
