The Colombian peace process left a power vacuum in rural areas formerly controlled by FARC, leading to increased deforestation and environmental damage due to the lack of government oversight. Criminal groups have exploited this situation by engaging in illegal timber trafficking, amongst other environmental crimes. The Colombian Ministry of the Environment estimates that 47% of the timber sold nationally is illegally sourced. A 2020 investigation also found irregularities in Colombian timber exports, including over-invoicing and under-invoicing to move value in and out of the country. Logging operations often occur in protected areas of the forest, despite licences indicating authorised zones. Overall, the illegal logging of timber in Colombia causes 10% of all deforestation. Another issue is that existing regulations are only weakly enforced. For instance, the environmental authority of Corpoamazonia, responsible for protecting forests in the southern departments, is understaffed, with just 30 officers overseeing an area the size of Ecuador. In addition, the Transport Handbook, a permit required for cutting and transporting timber in Colombia, is frequently falsified in order to launder illegal timber. Merchants exploit these permits as blank cheques to justify volumes logged in protected forests.