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Arson attack in Río Negro: Mapuche group claims responsibility for the action

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The Kunko Williche Resistance has claimed responsibility for an attack that resulted in the destruction of machinery and forestry trucks, demanding the withdrawal of companies from ancestral territory.

In an act of territorial reclamation, the Kunko Williche Resistance claimed authorship of an arson attack that devastated a significant number of vehicles and machinery in a forestry estate in the mountainous area of Río Negro, in the province of Osorno, Los Lagos region. The attack, which took place in the town of Popoen, on the border of the communes of Río Negro and San Juan de la Costa, culminated in the destruction of 13 trucks, 10 pieces of machinery, and 2 warehouses.

The statement issued by the Kunko Williche Resistance not only claims the action as a form of protest against the presence of forestry companies in Willimapu but also expresses solidarity with the so-called Mapuche political prisoners and demands a fair trial for members of the Arauco Malleco Coordinator.

The reaction of local authorities was swift. The mayor of Río Negro, Sebastián Cruzat, expressed his concern over the recurrence of these attacks, which not only harm local production but also generate unemployment and insecurity in the region. Cruzat urged the creation of special investigative units in the Los Lagos region

to identify those responsible for these acts and provide concrete solutions beyond mere announcements of legal actions.

The regional presidential delegate in Los Lagos, Giovanna Moreira, was challenged by the mayor to pursue legal action against the perpetrators of these events in an effort to restore peace and order in the affected area.

This incident adds to a series of conflicts in the region that highlight the existing tension between Mapuche communities and forestry companies, in a context of disputes over land and ancestral rights. The situation in Río Negro and its surroundings remains a critical point in Chile's political and social agenda.