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Government Announces Terrorism Law Charges Following Attacks in Santa Bárbara and Contulmo

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The Minister of Security, Luis Cordero, announced this Sunday on Canal 13's Mesa Central that the Government will file charges invoking the Terrorism Law for the recent arson attacks in the Biobío region. The legal actions target both the attack recorded in the early hours of April 7 in Contulmo and the one carried out this Sunday at the Rucalhue Hydroelectric Plant in Santa Bárbara.

In the latter incident, a group of at least five armed, hooded individuals entered the under-construction plant, subdued and assaulted security guards, and then set fire to nearly 50 pieces of machinery—including trucks and construction equipment. The attackers fled, scattering spike strips on the road and felling trees to hinder the advance of security forces. Two of the four guards sustained minor injuries.

Regarding the attack in Contulmo, three properties were burned, and a banner attributed to the Mapuche Lafkenche Resistance (RML) was found.

"For the purposes of prosecuting these crimes, an organization intended to carry out such actions, with these types of demands, constitutes a terrorist organization," stated Minister Cordero. When asked whether demands like the release of so-called political prisoners or the withdrawal of the Armed Forces from the area were included, he affirmed, "Yes. But also those directly linked to criminal offenses covered by the Terrorism Law, such as arson in or near populated areas."

Cordero explained that the charges fall under the newly approved anti-terrorism legislation, which allows the State to act more effectively against such attacks. "This is not a change in the Government's stance but a concrete application of the new law. Previously, the difficulty lay in proving 'terrorist intent,' making it more efficient to use other regulations, such as weapons or arson laws. Today, this legal framework has changed, allowing us to act with greater clarity," he noted.

The Rucalhue Plant, located in Santa Bárbara, is owned by a Chinese capital holding company and is still under construction. According to the minister, the level of destruction, the type of machinery affected, and the intentionality of the act fully justify the use of the Terrorism Law.

"We want to make it very clear that this law was not approved for merely formal reasons. These types of cases fully justify its application," Cordero concluded.