20-Year Jail Time Proposed for Forest Fire Starters
Mexico proposes harsher penalties for causing forest fires, including 20 years jail time and hefty fines. Aims to deter accidental and intentional fire starters, with additional punishment for harming firefighters and fires for profit.
Mexico's forests are ablaze with more than just flames – a firestorm of legislative fury is brewing. Deputy García García (nicknamed "Green García" by his colleagues for his penchant for environmental causes) is throwing gasoline on the kindling of lax forest fire punishments. His proposed reforms to the Federal Penal Code aim to set ablaze the wallets and liberties of those who play with fire, quite literally.
Just picture a leisurely afternoon spent clearing brush on your rural property. A rogue spark escapes your controlled burn, and suddenly Bambi's backyard is a blazing inferno. Under current Mexican law, this lapse in judgment might land you with a measly two to ten years in the slammer. But under Green García's plan, that little bonfire gone bad could transform into a twenty-year prison sentence, complete with a side order of a hefty fine. Ouch.
