News

Araucanía Records Drop in Rural Violence Crimes in 2024, Reaching the Lowest Figure in Six Years

Sponsors

In 2024 alone, the Prosecutor's Office of La Araucanía received over 83 thousand cases, the highest number in the area since the start of the Criminal Procedure Reform.

Despite the overall increase, when examining reports of organized crime or rural violence in the area, these saw a 55% drop compared to 2023, reaching a total of 242.

This is the lowest number in six years, far below 2021, when it recorded a peak of 978 cases.

The regional prosecutor of La Araucanía, Roberto Garrido, highlighted the reduction in rural violence incidents, linking it to "the prosecution strategy focused on addressing rural violence as organized crime," targeting structures and funding channels.

In detail, arson crimes in the region decreased by 59%, land usurpations by 58%, vehicle thefts by 25%, and timber theft by 12%.

According to the prosecutor, this decline would be tied to convictions in high-profile cases, such as the 23-year prison sentence obtained against the leader of the Arauco Malleco Coordinator (CAM), Héctor Llaitul.

Garrido added that, during the past year, 82 defendants were convicted in 41 cases linked to rural organized crime, and admitted that while "we have struck criminal structures, dismantled their funding sources, and brought their leaders to trial (...), we must be clear: these groups are not dismantled, and there is still a long way to go."

The national prosecutor, Ángel Valencia, praised the work of the La Araucanía Prosecutor's Office in cases like the triple homicide of police officers and acknowledged that "they are doing more with the same people," but added that "we need additional resources for the region, particularly more prosecutors, and especially the professionals who assist victims and witnesses."

Source:El Mercurio