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Association of Forestry Engineers Stands in Solidarity with Acoforag Amid Escalation of Terrorist Attacks

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Through this statement, we express our solidarity with the Association of Forestry Contractors A.G. (ACOFORAG) regarding the escalation of terrorist attacks in the Southern Macrozone during the first weeks of 2024. In particular, we condemn the latest attack carried out in Loncoche, La Araucanía region, this past Monday.

As ACOFORAG has pointed out, this is the fourth attack so far in 2024 and the 474th since 2014. This situation only confirms that those who work day to day—facing threats to their livelihoods and even their lives—do not share the optimism about the reported reduction in attacks communicated by authorities.

Ensuring the safety of forestry workers and restoring the rule of law in the macrozone is imperative. However, this will not be possible without an unequivocal commitment from all involved parties to reject and prosecute these actions, without conflating them with social demands that should be addressed through dialogue.

Many forestry engineers have chosen to work as contractors. Our Association deeply regrets their plight while also admiring their courage to persist daily amid uncertainty, striving to ease their own fears and those of their families. It is time they are allowed to work in peace. Chilean forestry workers do not deserve to be dragged into and harmed by a conflict for which they bear no responsibility. We continue to expect authorities to commit to eradicating terrorism in the southern macrozone—not just celebrating a "reduction in its frequency."

Association of Forestry Engineers of Chile

Santiago, January 25, 2024