News

For Acoforag, "the State abandoned the southern territory" following attack in Araucanía

Sponsors

A complex situation is unfolding in the southern macrozone with the new attack under investigation by Carabineros, which affected a forestry truck that was set on fire on the route connecting Angol and Collipulli, all in the Araucanía region. Armed assailants allegedly forced the machine's owner to drive it from outside his home.

The incident was condemned by René Muñoz, manager of the Association of Forestry Contractors, stating that the State has abandoned the southern part of the country.

"The truth is that this has become normalized. Southern macrozone, okay? It’s out there, let them deal with it alone. We focus on Santiago. For us, what happened today is the norm. And we’ve been denouncing this for a long time—the State abandoned this southern territory," Muñoz asserted.

The OS-9 and Labocar units of Carabineros carried out various procedures to determine the origin of the fire in a logging truck providing services to CMPC, which was left blocking Route 182 connecting Angol and Collipulli in the Malleco province of the Araucanía region.

According to details provided by the prosecutor's office, two individuals arrived in a reportedly stolen pickup truck at the machine owner's residence in another area of Angol, where they threatened him with a firearm and forced him to drive his truck for about 17 kilometers to the Lolenco crossing. There, they made him exit under threats, doused the vehicle with a flammable liquid, and set it on fire before fleeing. The victim was unharmed and managed to return home after being assisted by a colleague passing through the area, later reporting the incident to Carabineros.

A stance similar to Muñoz's was expressed by Antonio Soto, president of the Wood Corporation in the Araucanía, Los Ríos, and Los Lagos regions, urging the government to ensure safety on the roads. "These acts of violence are unacceptable and endanger the lives of people who are simply doing their jobs. As Corma, we reiterate the urgent call to guarantee safety on roads and territories so families can live and work in peace," he emphasized.

The procedures ordered by the Prosecutor's Office continue to identify those responsible for this incident, in which no banners linked to radical groups were found, while protective measures were granted to the victim.

Source: BiobioChile