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Forestry Contractors Demand "Maximum Penalties" for Companies Allegedly Purchasing Stolen Timber from Occupied Lands

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The manager of the Association of Forestry Contractors, René Muñoz, stated that "we found this to be a dark spot in what is happening because these companies—without naming them—are the ones financing terrorism and funding attacks against forestry contractors."

Forestry contractors from the Southern Macrozone urged the judiciary to apply "maximum penalties" to companies that allegedly purchased stolen timber from occupied lands. This follows revelations from the arrest of a gang dedicated to timber theft in the Biobío and La Araucanía regions during an operation conducted by Carabineros and the La Araucanía Prosecutor's Office. They described the operation as "a clear signal" in the fight against such crimes in the area.

They also analyzed the alleged involvement of industry companies in purchasing trucks carrying timber from lands occupied by the Arauco Malleco Coordinator. This remains under investigation by the Public Ministry, and they were critical, stating these companies "are the ones financing terrorism."

LAW AGAINST TIMBER THEFT

Diario La Tribuna spoke with René Muñoz, manager of the Association of Forestry Contractors, who addressed the arrest of this timber theft gang. He stated: "We believe it is important that the recently enacted timber theft law begins to be enforced because it is a very useful tool. Ultimately, timber theft finances terrorist activities, as Mr. Llaitul himself said. So, if action is taken and the Prosecutor's Office can prosecute these criminals, we believe terrorist activities by these armed groups should decrease."

He added, "This government sent a clear signal that crimes must be pursued. We will see how progress continues, but with over 25 arrests in La Araucanía and Arauco, people in pretrial detention, and real precautionary measures, we believe this path must continue. We must wait for results from upcoming trials, but we think this is the direction to move in."

Additionally, the Acoforag manager stated, "We believe the Internal Revenue Service must act—it has taken too long to take a strong stance in prosecuting this crime. It is the state agency that could establish other claims regarding unpaid taxes, evasion through falsified invoices, or altered permits. We think the IRS must play a fundamental and leading role in combating this crime."

COMPANIES UNDER INVESTIGATION

When asked about companies under investigation for allegedly purchasing trucks with timber extracted from lands occupied by the Arauco Malleco Coordinator, René Muñoz said, "We found this to be a dark spot in what is happening because these companies—without naming them—are the ones financing terrorism and funding attacks against forestry contractors. We believe that once identified, they must face maximum penalties, as they are responsible for the violence in the Southern Macrozone."

2022: THE MOST VIOLENT YEAR WITH 91 ARSON ATTACKS

The representative of forestry contractors referred to the attacks in 2022, noting, "This is the most violent year since 2014, with 91 attacks so far—and we still have two months left. We estimate we could reach around 100 attacks, which would be a very harsh number given what we are experiencing."

He added, "This year includes the two most violent months: April with 17 attacks and July 2022 with 16 attacks. We believe the State of Emergency has not worked for us—we’ve always said this. We hope the enforcement of this law and the enactment of pending laws, like the Intelligence Law and the Land Usurpation Law, will improve working conditions for forestry contractors."

Source: https://www.latribuna.cl/macrozona-sur/2022/11/03/contratistas-forestales-solicitaron-aplicar-todas-las-penas-a-empresas-que-habrian-comprado-madera-robada-de-predios-en-toma.html