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Government states that state of exception remains necessary despite decrease in rural violence

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• For the fifth time, authorities from the Biobío and La Araucanía regions met with the Armed Forces and police in the Interregional Committee.

Since the murder of three police officers in Cañete on April 27, rural violence incidents in the provinces of Arauco and Biobío have dropped to zero. This was indicated by the Head of National Defense for the local territory, while overall in the Southern Macrozone, such crimes have decreased by 45% compared to last year.

Despite these results, the regional delegates of Biobío and La Araucanía affirm that challenges remain, and thus it is still necessary to maintain the state of exception. They stated this after the fifth Interregional Committee, which brought together local authorities, police, and security-related institutions to evaluate the presidential measure that has been in place for over two years.

SECURITY
Rear Admiral Oscar Manzano, in charge of the Armed Forces in the Biobío Region, explained that the reduction in violent crimes was always more pronounced in the Biobío Province than in Arauco. "We already had quite low numbers when the regrettable incident (affecting) the police occurred in April. After that, due to the deployment, increased activity, and investigative work targeting those responsible for this murder, the numbers dropped even further. Our records reached zero monthly after April and remain very low today," he added.

Following the crime against the officers, the different branches of the Armed Forces reinforced their presence in Arauco Province with personnel and resources, which, according to the rear admiral, is reflected in the numbers. Additionally, the search for Tomás Antihuen Santi, a fugitive and one of the perpetrators of the triple homicide, remains active, so armed personnel continue to protect the police. When asked about the support they are currently providing to the police, specifically to monitor precautionary measures—the scenario in which the officers were attacked in April—Manzano stated that they now accompany personnel in higher-risk zones, based on operational analysis.

This has extended to other institutions and companies, as after recent storms, they have had to deploy to restore or repair public service infrastructure. "In some cases, when they must enter higher-risk areas, we also accompany them in coordination with the police," explained the Defense Chief.

CONTINUITY
Daniela Dresdner, regional delegate of Biobío, stated that "compared to 2023, we have seen a 45% decline in rural violence cases in the Macrozone." This has also led to a 5% drop in common crimes.

When asked about the continuity of the state of exception given these positive results, the authority asserted that "we believe there are still pending challenges for people's peace of mind, but they are also linked to development progress. We know that areas with high rural violence were lagging in development, and this improved security has allowed us to begin making progress."

In this regard, she assured that areas under the state of exception, despite security improvements, still lack the appropriate indicators to confirm they have the same conditions as other parts of the country. "The solution to the area's problem is not the state of exception but the advancement of development, and to achieve that, the first step was to improve security."

Meanwhile, the regional delegate of La Araucanía, José Montalva, echoed this sentiment, stating that to discuss scaling back the state of exception, development, security, and investment capacity in affected areas must reach a similar level. However, he also emphasized the need to dismantle criminal organizations operating in the Southern Macrozone, reducing their influence through increased investment, while maintaining dialogue addressing historical debts with communities—an area where he highlighted the work of the Commission for Peace and Understanding.

Source: subscription edition ofEl Sur