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Entrepreneur from Biobío loses recently paid truck after arson attack: damage exceeds $90 million

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During the early hours of Saturday, July 19, another arson attack shook the forestry transport sector in the Southern Macrozone. This time, the target was the company Transleon Limitada, based in the commune of Nacimiento, in the Biobío region. One of its three trucks was intercepted by armed individuals while its driver was conducting a pre-shift inspection at a Shell gas station at the Huequén intersection in Angol.

Carlos León Gajardo, the company's administrator and founder, told Diario La Tribuna that the attackers—two individuals traveling in a stolen pickup truck—approached the worker at gunpoint and forced him to drive for about eight kilometers.

"They held a gun to his back and ordered him to get in. They took him to Alto Santa Elena, where they made him position the truck across the road to block both lanes, and then set the vehicle on fire," he said.

Although the worker was physically unharmed, the incident included a brief reference to Mapuche prisoners, without further explanation from the assailants. "Fortunately, they didn’t hit him, but they told him not to look back and let him go," added León. After fleeing the scene, the driver sought help from a colleague, triggering a chain of calls to Carabineros and authorities.

LOSSES AND A RECENTLY PAID-OFF TRUCK

Transleon, a company dedicated to transporting wood for the forestry industry, was founded five years ago in Nacimiento and operates a fleet of three trucks. The burned vehicle was one of its primary operational assets, valued at $90 million. According to its owner, the truck had recently been paid off after years of monthly payments.

"This is a total loss. The cabin, which holds the engine and gearbox—the most valuable parts—was the first thing they destroyed. They know what they’re doing," he explained. León emphasized that the business model in this sector relies on bank financing, similar to a mortgage. "You make a down payment, take on a five- or six-year debt, and only at the end can you say the truck is yours," he detailed.

The attack also disrupts the company’s steady growth trajectory, with operations spanning the Biobío, Ñuble, and La Araucanía regions, and occasionally areas further south. "We’re not a big company. That’s why I prefer to be called an entrepreneur. We built this with hard work, and now we’ve lost a third of everything," he stressed.

THE LINGERING FEAR

Although the driver was unharmed, the emotional aftermath of the kidnapping and attack remains. The proximity of the incident to his home adds another layer of insecurity. "The place where he parked the truck is close to his house. So the fear that these people might still be lurking around is real," said the administrator.

Compounding the issue is the fact that the attack occurred in an urban area. "For this to happen within the city, in Angol, is truly frightening," he expressed. In this context, León noted a widespread sense of vulnerability. "You feel helpless," he added.

THE CALL TO AUTHORITIES

In his testimony, Carlos León not only highlighted the financial damage or the emotional impact on his team but also made a direct appeal to political authorities amid an environment of electoral campaigns and ideological divisions.

"This isn’t about politics. What’s at stake here is the right to live in peace, as Víctor Jara’s song said. That’s a right the State still owes its people," he declared. In the entrepreneur’s view, there must be a swift, bipartisan condemnation of such acts, free from political calculations.

"Unfortunately, my industry has been associated with a specific political stance. But this problem affects everyone. We can’t have debates that resemble wrestling matches when what we need is to sit at the same table, without excluding anyone, and agree that this can’t keep happening," he reflected.

"So, my main call is for society as a whole to agree that this cannot happen again, that we must solve it, and for that, we need all stakeholders at the table—no one can be left out of this conversation," he concluded.

Source:La Tribuna