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Prosecutor of La Araucanía Warns of Increase in Violent Incidents Between January and March: "The Increase is 17%"

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The prosecutor of La Araucanía, Roberto Garrido, stated this Friday that a 17% increase in violent incidents has been observed in the region during the first months of the year. In his view, this could be linked to demands by certain groups in support of defendants in high-profile investigations, such as the Nain or Llaitul cases.

In an interview with ADN Radio, the prosecutor explained that "normally, January and February of each year are months where an increase in violent incidents occurs, associated with forest fires. But this year, unfortunately, we have noticed a rise compared to the same period last year."

"The increase, according to the information we have gathered and processed, is generally 17%, but the most notable rise—over 40%—occurs in the most serious incidents, specifically attacks against people or arson," he added.

Along these lines, Garrido noted that "if I compare the same period this year to last year, overall, incidents that can be classified as rural violence—meaning those with a vindictive intent, where there are pamphlets or banners—have increased by 17% in total."

"We can distinguish, because I believe it's important for analysis, the most significant incidents—those involving attacks on people, arson, or shootings against police officers—from less severe ones, like land occupations, where penalties are lower," he said. In this regard, he affirmed that "the greatest increase occurs precisely in these more serious incidents, which, in my view, explains a heightened sense of insecurity. The overall increase isn't massive, but it is larger for the most severe crimes."

However, he cautioned that "I believe a more comprehensive evaluation is needed. Experience in this case has shown us that the situation fluctuates throughout the year, so longer periods must be observed to draw a well-founded conclusion."

Regarding the reasons behind the increase, the prosecutor commented, "I believe it can be directly linked to upcoming judicial hearings, as evidenced by the vindictive nature of these attacks."

"The messages on these banners reference the freedom of those accused of these crimes, which is why they are associated with them. Moreover, it seems evident to us that this is the case, as these violent attacks begin ahead of these hearings," he concluded.

Source:www.Emol.com