Forestry Contractors Claim Terrorist Activity Has Become Normalized

Acoforag laments that no one is surprised by these events anymore. The association reports that 20 of the 25 arson attacks in 2024 have occurred in the Region. Here, they warn, political will is needed to intervene in identified locations.

The recent arson attack that affected forestry operations in the Almagro sector of Nueva Imperial—where six trucks, two pickup trucks, and a machine were burned—did not go unnoticed by the Association of Forestry Contractors. Faced with the community's "habituation" to such events, the association publicly lamented that there is now a "normalization of terrorist activity," which, in their view, only brings disaster, unemployment, poverty, and reduced investment interest in La Araucanía.

Hours after issuing a statement, Acoforag's manager, René Muñoz Klock, emphasized how poorly this situation reflects on the region, especially this part of the national territory. "This year, we have suffered 25 attacks against small and medium-sized forestry entrepreneurs, 20 of which occurred in La Araucanía—even under a State of Emergency. This figure is significant because, if this trend continues, we could reach the 28 or 29 attacks we had last year. So, in 2022, 2023, and now 2024, the State of Emergency has been in place, meaning we’ve spent nearly three years under this measure, yet the numbers, at least for us, remain unchanged. I’m talking about the work we do in rural areas, in forests, on properties—and this will continue. We don’t see any decline or control due to the State of Emergency," argued the spokesperson.

Muñoz adds that there is another relevant statistic to consider when assessing the situation. "Of the 260 attacks in La Araucanía over the past ten years, only two have resulted in arrests and convictions—only two. The Prosecutor’s Office does its job, but ultimately, we get nowhere. Moreover, out of 490 attacks in the southern macro-zone, only three have been resolved. That’s 0.06%, not even reaching 1% effectiveness."

The leader insists that this is why they protest and claim that terrorist activity has become normalized. "Today, we are witnessing the normalization of terrorist activity in this part of the country, where equipment is destroyed, and there is loss of assets and formal jobs (...), a situation that has plagued the Region for 27 years."

In the view of the forestry contractors' spokesperson, everyone knows what needs to be done to change this scenario. "Here," he says, "intervention is needed, and that intervention requires political will from the government to say, 'I want to eradicate this situation, and I need to intervene in the places where we all know the problem lies—Temucuicui, areas of Carahue, Imperial, or Capitán Pastene, where properties have been seized.' Because this has gone on for so long, it’s not easy now—there are connections, crimes have begun to intertwine, and they defend each other. Today, there’s a mix of terrorism with drug trafficking, arms trafficking, cattle rustling, and vehicle theft," he emphasized.

Source: Subscription Edition ofEl Austral de Temuco