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Violent night in the southern macrozone: At least 30 machines and a house burned in three attacks

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New arson attacks were recorded during the early hours of Tuesday in different communes of the southern macrozone of the country. In the commune of Panguipulli, Los Ríos Region, armed individuals broke into a local forestry company and burned a large number of machines. Additionally, two incidents occurred in Cañete and Lautaro.

Panguipulli

Carabineros arrived at around 2:30 a.m. at the Toro forestry company, where the 71-year-old caretaker reported that while conducting rounds aboard a pickup truck inside the property, seven masked individuals entered the area and intimidated him with weapons—apparently firearms—both long and short.

After that, the criminals set fire to five pickup trucks, two backhoes, two motor graders, one low-bed truck, seven dump trucks, one fuel truck, and one crushing plant, using an accelerant liquid.

Finally, the attackers fled the scene in the caretaker's vehicle who reported them, leaving a banner with a message alluding to Nelson Queupil and Luis Tranamil, detained for the murder of Carabinero Eugenio Nain. According to police reports, there were no shots fired or injuries during the attack. Additionally, the property had no protective measures in place.

The Panguipulli prosecutor's office instructed the attendance of the Special Police Investigations Brigade of the Investigative Police to determine the dynamics of the incident and the PDI's Criminalistics Laboratory to conduct forensic work at the scene.

Lautaro

Meanwhile, in the commune of Lautaro, Araucanía Region, around 2:40 a.m., the property caretaker reported being approached by approximately 10 masked individuals armed with long firearms.

The assailants entered the house where he lived with his family, forcing the entrance door. Inside, they intimidated the victims and covered their mouths with a sheet. Then, the individuals went to the main house, which was unoccupied, and a shed—where machinery was stored—spraying the premises with accelerant liquid and setting them on fire.

Afterward, the individuals fled the scene. Firefighters arrived and extinguished the blaze. In any case, there were no injuries. The attack resulted in the destruction of the main house, the shed, five tractors, one backhoe, one truck, one fumigation machine, one lime-spreading machine, one colossus, 50,000 kilos of oats, and 10,000 kilos of wheat. The damages will be assessed before the local prosecutor's office.

The estate has protective measures in place for the crime of non-violent usurpation, consisting of periodic daytime and nighttime patrols by uniformed police personnel.

A graffiti message was found at the scene reading, "Death to APRA (Association for Peace and Reconciliation in Araucanía) L.N.M (Mapuche National Liberation)."

Cañete

Additionally, in Cañete, Biobío Region, hooded individuals burned a house in the Huape sector, a worker transport bus on route P72s, and the same group attempted to burn a chapel in Tranguilboro.

However, neighbors put out the fire at the religious site. Carabineros personnel have deployed an operation to locate those involved in the incident.

Source:www.emol.com