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Delegate in La Araucanía says Arauco forestry company must request eviction of Lumaco estate

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For over a decade, communities aligned with the Arauco Malleco Coordinator (CAM) have occupied the Pidenco estate in Lumaco, a contentious point in La Araucanía.

The situation escalated when, for the second time, unidentified individuals thwarted attempts to exhume the remains of former CAM member Pablo Marchant by gunfire, forcing the suspension of efforts involving 250 Carabineros officers, PDI agents, and military personnel.

Now, lawmakers and trade associations argue that evicting the Pidenco estate, owned by Forestal Arauco, is necessary, urging government authorities to take action.

However, the presidential delegate of La Araucanía, Eduardo Abdala, stated he lacks the authority to carry out such an action. According to him, it is Arauco that must request the eviction, which has not happened so far.

The executive director of the Multigremial de La Araucanía, Claudia Lillo, said the priority is ensuring people can move freely and that private entities should not bear the burden of security concerns.

She asserted that ending terrorism in the region requires "a point of violence" and political will.

Meanwhile, the president of the Chilean Wood Corporation (Corma) in La Araucanía, Los Ríos, and Los Lagos, Antonio Soto, called for authorities' support to reclaim the area and restore the rule of law.

The presidential delegate added that during the second attempt to exhume Pablo Marchant's remains, they reached the burial site but decided not to proceed further due to safety concerns.

According to Arauco, the new squatting law does not apply to the Pidenco estate because the crime occurred before the law took effect in November 2023.

Source:BiobioChile