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Arson attack in Mulchén forest property intensifies debate over security in the Southern Macrozone

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The arson attack that occurred this morning in Mulchén has raised alarms in the Biobío Region. During the early hours, a group of five armed individuals entered a forest property owned by the company CMPC, located in the Enlace Los Pinos sector, at kilometer 4 of Route Q-896 in the commune of Mulchén, and proceeded to set fire to machinery and vehicles used in forestry operations.

According to information gathered by the Investigative Police (PDI), the attackers were traveling in a white pickup truck, dressed in black with their faces covered by bandanas, wearing bulletproof vests, and armed with rifles and shotguns.

The head of the Special Police Investigations Brigade (Bipe) of Los Ángeles, Commissioner David Meliñir, provided the initial details from the scene. "During the early hours of today, a pickup truck with five individuals arrived at this location, intimidating the workers who were inside at that time," the officer detailed.

"Subsequently, they proceeded to set fire to forestry machinery and some equipment belonging to contractors and subcontractors working on this forest property," added Meliñir, specifying that the attack affected seven vehicles in total: two agricultural machines, four pickup trucks, a maintenance vehicle, and a mobile canteen.

Urgent call to reinforce security

The incident immediately caused concern among local authorities, especially considering that Mulchén has been under a state of constitutional emergency for three years as part of measures implemented in the so-called Southern Macrozone in response to repeated rural violence.

The mayor of the commune, José Miguel Muñoz, was emphatic in his reaction. "We do not want our province to become another Southern Macrozone," he warned, urging the central government to adopt urgent and effective measures. "We call for strengthening security actions. What happened shows that maintaining a state of emergency is not enough if there is no deterrent presence or concrete results," the local authority stated.

Concern in the Government

From the central level, the reaction was swift. The Minister of Public Security, Luis Cordero, described the attack as "concerning" and noted that while progress had been made in stabilizing some areas, this new attack demonstrates the persistent territorial mobility of violent groups.

"This is an arson attack that we view with concern, especially because this was an area that had remained relatively calm. We had not seen an attack in Mulchén since 2023," Cordero stated. "This type of territorial mobility will be analyzed in great detail alongside the police and the head of National Defense in the area," he emphasized.

Presidential delegation: "These are criminal acts"

Meanwhile, the presidential delegate of Biobío Province, Javier Fuchslocher, confirmed that no injuries were reported during the attack, which he described as a relief, but stressed the seriousness of the incident.

"There are no injuries, but as a government, we have been emphatic that these are criminal acts, which undermine the work done to maintain a safe province and region," the delegate declared.

Fuchslocher added that coordination efforts with the Armed Forces and Carabineros will continue to be strengthened under the state of emergency in effect in the Southern Macrozone, while calling on citizens to trust the institutions and report any incidents that threaten community safety.

A new challenge for the Southern Macrozone

The attack in Mulchén calls into question the effectiveness of security measures deployed in the Southern Macrozone and reignites the debate over the need for new intelligence, prevention, and protection strategies in rural areas affected by the conflict.

Meanwhile, workers, contractors, and local residents express fear over the possibility of escalating violence. For now, investigations continue, with no arrests reported by the time this edition closed.