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Small Business Owners Affected by Arson Attack in Rucalhue: "We Lost Years of Work in Minutes"

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Last Sunday's early hours turned into a nightmare for several residents of the province. In the darkness, small business owners in the transportation sector watched as what they had built over years of effort, family sacrifice, and endless workdays went up in flames.

Trucks, machinery, and dreams were consumed in an arson attack in the Rucalhue area, resulting in the total destruction of their work equipment, causing million-dollar losses. To this day, no responsible parties or concrete solutions have been identified.

La Tribuna spoke with some of the affected individuals, who participated in a meeting on Thursday afternoon with the Minister of Public Security, Luis Cordero, at the provincial delegation of Biobío.

"WE NEED HELP NOW"

Claudio Cancino recounted with deep frustration and sadness how, in minutes, he lost his five trucks—the fruit of years of family effort, his livelihood, and what he had achieved through hard work.

"This is work I've been doing for years. Today, I have no way to start over. I'm left helpless. What we need most is support to get back to work, to not stay down," he expressed, visibly distressed.

Cancino estimates his losses exceed 700 million pesos, a staggering figure for any small business owner. His company, like many others subcontracted to provide services in the area, is now paralyzed, leaving 12 drivers without jobs—workers who depended on these jobs to feed their families.

The businessman mentioned they have held meetings with the main company overseeing the project, but so far, no concrete solution or effective support plan has been presented.

"We haven't received any response. No one from the government—neither regional nor provincial—has reached out to us. Not even a presidential delegate has shown up. Only the Department of Rural Violence called us for a meeting, but they told us any support would take months. We don’t have months—we need help now," he stated.

"EVERYTHING WAS CONSUMED BY FIRE"

This tragic situation is echoed in other cases, such as that of Carlos Opazo, owner of Transporte Opazo and originally from San Javier in the seventh region, who also shared how he lost everything he had worked for over years.

His company, based in the Maule region, had only recently begun providing services in Rucalhue. They had four trucks and an excavator. Today, all of it has been reduced to ashes.

"We are small business owners. We’re not big companies with million-dollar insurance policies. We came from far away looking for work, for opportunities. And now we’ve lost everything. We had to let go of all our staff. We’re left with nothing," he recounted bitterly.

Opazo also emphasized the human impact of the attack: "You see these things from afar, but when it happens to you, it’s different. There are no short-term solutions—we don’t know how to move forward. We have commitments with banks, suppliers, and our workers. Good intentions aren’t enough to pay a bill. We need a concrete solution. Today, not tomorrow. Otherwise, we’re finished."

The scale of the attack isn’t just measured in millions of pesos lost. It’s estimated that, among all affected business owners, over 150 workers were immediately left jobless. Drivers, operators, assistants, and support staff—all were left without income, without security, and without clarity about the future.

"The impact has been brutal, emotionally too. Everyone’s mental health is shattered. It’s very hard to get back up, but I’ve always said we must try to move forward. The only thing we need is support—support to start again," explained Cancino.

Both business owners agree that before the attack, there were no clear signs of risk. Beyond a specific work stoppage at the site, there had been no history of violent incidents in the area. "We never saw masked individuals or anything unusual. This took us completely by surprise," they said.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Recall that, armed with firearms, a group of 12 masked individuals entered the property where the Rucalhue hydroelectric plant is being constructed, on the border of Quilaco and Santa Bárbara. They intimidated security guards before setting fire to 48 trucks, two excavators, and a motor grader.

During the violent act, two security personnel were injured. So far, no arrests have been made by the police.

The "terrorist" attack that struck part of the Rucalhue Central construction site in Biobío province last Sunday not only caused millions in material losses—the largest recorded in the Southern Macrozone—but also dealt a severe blow to micro and small businesses, as well as local employment.

Million-Dollar Losses

According to data gathered by La Tribuna, nine local businesses were affected, mostly subcontractors and small transport companies, estimating losses exceeding 5 billion pesos.

Among those mentioned are Transportes VSC, Opazo, Cancino, Rosales, GHC Servicios Industriales, CHEC, Constructora Retro, Transportes Talmak, and CFHEC, which were providing services to the hydroelectric plant. Most reportedly lacked associated insurance.

Following the arson attack, the Public Ministry instructed Investigative Police personnel to carry out procedures to locate those responsible. According to La Tribuna's sources, the investigation is led by prosecutor Carlos Díaz, who is working with a "Task Force" involving units from both Los Ángeles and Santiago.

As part of the investigation, a "permanent protection measure" was issued for the Central's facilities, which has been decreed and is to be implemented by Carabineros de Chile.

Source:La Tribuna