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Southern Macrozone "Unique and Non-Transferable Invitation": La Moneda's Efforts to Formalize Members of the "Commission for Peace" in the Southern Macrozone

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-According to data from the Association of Forestry Contractors, they have faced the destruction of 1,642 pieces of equipment.

"I invite all regional stakeholders to join a Commission for Peace and Understanding, but beware, this is not a commission to conduct yet another assessment—enough have already been done.As I mentioned, the assessments are already complete. This is a commission to take the recommendations made by national and international organizations to find a solution to the region’s conflict and finally put them into practice," said President Gabriel Boric on November 11, 2022, during his first visit to La Araucanía, where he personally committed to an initiative that the government has struggled to materialize.

Since then, there had been no updates on the operationalization of this announcement, which was already causing concern among Southern Macrozone trade groups, as despite the state of emergency in La Araucanía and Biobío, the most violent incidents have intensified. This, coupled with the economic impact on forestry and agricultural operations: according to data from theAssociation of Forestry Contractors, they have faced the destruction of 1,642 pieces of equipment.

Seven months after the President's announcement, this commission ison the vergeof being finalized:this Wednesday, June 21, at 12:00 PM, at La Moneda Palace.The meeting was called by the President himself, who during his third visit to La Araucanía last week stated, "We must come together again. That’s why next week—as you already know—we will be making an important announcement regarding the Commission for Peace and Understanding, to discuss land issues clearly and with the necessary time."

Who will be part of this initiative? Several names have emerged, with the strongest beingAlfredo Moreno, former minister under Sebastián Piñera in both of his administrations.Moreno, as Minister of Social Development in 2018, played a key role in bridging gaps between the government and the most radicalized communities in the conflict—a success that was undone by the murder of Camilo Catrillanca in November of that year, which erased all progress made up to that point.

This is why Moreno’s name is crucial for the administration: he understands the dynamics of the region and aligns with trade groups. However, his participation has not been confirmed, neither by him nor the government, though others in the commission assume it’s a given, as one of his last public appearances was during a trip toNew Zealand alongside the Biobío governor to study conflict resolution strategies in that country.

The rest of the commission would include—so far—the representative of Malleco farmers' associations,Sebastián Naveillán; Senator Francisco Huenchumilla (DC); Senator Carmen Gloria Aravena (Republicans); Aldolfo Millabour and Angélica Tepper, former constitutional convention members.

Tepper (Evópoli) stated, "At one point, I was asked if I would be available to join this committee. Francisco Arellano (asked me), and I said yes, I had no issue. In fact,we held a meeting with several other regional stakeholders (from La Araucanía). Many made themselves available to work(...). So far, I haven’t been formally notified, but I was invited to the ceremony."

Notifications, as explained by others invited, are being handled by the Presidency. Some even suggest thatBoric himself will contact them, and for that reason, they declined to confirm attendanceuntil receiving that call.

The President’s urgency in finalizing this initiative is evident in the fact that the Presidency is organizing all event logistics. For example,on June 15, they began contacting the "chosen ones"via emails from the Presidential Cabinet.

Source:www.latercera.com