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Forestry Contractors: Over 40 Thousand People Have Been Victims of Violence in the Southern Macrozone

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The Association of Forestry Contractors (Acoforag) stated that over 40 thousand people have been directly and indirectly affected by violence in the Southern Macrozone.

Meanwhile, lawmakers criticized the Commission for Peace and Understanding for failing to compile a registry of individuals affected by attacks.

The work of the Presidential Commission for Peace and Understanding concluded without a census of victims of violence, managing only to quantify the land demands by Mapuche communities in the Southern Macrozone.

This situation caused discontent among various trade groups, who criticized the nearly two-year failure to create a list of people impacted by attacks recorded between the Biobío and Los Lagos regions.

Acoforag's manager, René Muñoz, said that over 12 years, they have documented more than 40 thousand people affected by violent incidents, both directly and indirectly. "In the forestry sector, we have four murdered workers, and in terms of physically and psychologically harmed individuals, the total is around 40 thousand, including affected families and workers. So, it’s not a minor issue," he stated.

The lack of a census of violence victims was criticized by Amarillos deputy for La Araucanía, Andrés Jouannet, who noted that the Commission for Peace and Understanding had the opportunity to consult with various trade groups.

Libertarian deputy for the area, Gloria Naveillán, shared a similar opinion, expressing her astonishment at the "poorly done" work by the commissioners.

The forestry contractors' leader explained that over 400 members have been affected by violent incidents, and considering each has at least 100 workers, the result is over 40 thousand people suffering consequences from attacks in the Southern Macrozone.

This number is in addition to another 420 individuals documented by the Association of Rural Violence Victims.

Source:BiobioChile