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Over 20 forestry contractors have left the Los Ríos region following acts of violence

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Over 20 forestry contractors have withdrawn from the Los Ríos region due to acts of violence in the area.

The increase in police presence with over 90 officers and the implementation of 11 checkpoints are part of the measures that began operating in Los Ríos after the commitment by Undersecretary of the Interior Manuel Monsalve to strengthen security in the area.

Although forestry associations appreciated the measure, they stated that these actions are insufficient and must be accompanied by a State of Exception, asserting that several contractors left the region out of fear of becoming victims of violent acts.

The president of Pymemad in Los Ríos, Fernando Hales, noted that since 2019, at least 15 members have left the area.

"There is no supply because there are no contractors; they feel constantly threatened," said Hales.

A similar situation occurs in the Association of Forestry Contractors, which reported that over the past three years, 10 members have left the Los Ríos region.

The association's president, René Muñoz, stated that the situation harms the industry and added that across the entire Southern Macro Zone, there are 100,000 hectares seized by illicit associations and armed groups that prevent harvesting on the properties.

"These are 100,000 hectares that, despite being under regulation, cannot be harvested or managed," he said.

According to Pymemad, the inability of companies in Los Ríos to supply wood to other regions has resulted in the loss of around 200 jobs due to difficulties in fulfilling contracts.

Thus, the associations urge the government to act preemptively to prevent—they say—violence from crossing the barrier of La Araucanía and establishing itself, as they foresee, with the same intensity in Los Ríos.

Source:www.biobiochile.cl