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Arson Attack Devastates Machinery in the Southern Macrozone

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• Four forestry machines and one and a half hectares of forest were destroyed in an attack in Curanilahue, Biobío Region.

In an act of violence that shattered the early morning calm, a group of masked individuals carried out an arson attack on the Curihuillin property, leaving four forestry machines destroyed and a stretch of forest consumed by flames. The incident, which resulted in no injuries, is the latest in a series of similar events affecting the forestry industry in the area.

The attack took place in the early hours of Tuesday, when the assailants entered the property and proceeded to spray accelerant liquid on the cabins of the machines and a bus used as a dining area by workers. After setting the vehicles ablaze, the individuals stole the claw of a skidder and its traction engines before fleeing the scene.

The fire spread rapidly, burning approximately one and a half hectares of pine plantation, requiring emergency crews to intervene to control the situation and prevent further spread.

The presidential delegate of Arauco, Humberto Toro, reported that the attack affected the company Comaco and that authorities are already working to extinguish the forest fire caused by the burning machinery. Despite the scale of the incident, no messages or banners were found that could attribute responsibility for the attack to any particular group.

This incident adds to the list of attacks that have affected the forestry industry in the southern macrozone of Chile, a region that has been the scene of conflicts over territorial demands and clashes between indigenous groups, forestry companies, and the state.

Authorities have launched an investigation to identify those responsible for the attack and have reinforced security measures in the area to prevent future incidents. Meanwhile, the local community and affected workers await answers and solutions to ensure their safety and the continuity of their work.