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Acoforag Denounces Before the IACHR Systematic Violence Against Forestry Contractors in the Southern Macrozone
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The Association of Forestry Contractors A.G. (Acoforag) filed a formal petition with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) on July 29, 2025, denouncing the serious and systematic human rights violations suffered by its members in the Southern Macrozone of Chile.
For over 12 years, forestry contractors and their workers have been victims of armed attacks, arson assaults, kidnappings, constant threats, and destruction of machinery, in a context of violence that has deeply affected not only their work but also the safety and well-being of their families.
The submission to the IACHR documents an extensive series of violent events, including murders, ambushes, and attacks on infrastructure, which—according to the association—constitutes a situation of permanent violation of fundamental rights, with direct responsibility of the State due to omission.
"We believe that, after 12 years of being subjected to violence, kidnappings, arson, destruction, and the inability to work normally, it is necessary for the State to take responsibility for what is currently happening in the southern macrozone," stated René Muñoz, manager of Acoforag.
Meanwhile, Rodrigo Ruiz Godoy, lawyer for Acoforag, explained that the complaint seeks for the IACHR to evaluate the possibility of bringing the case before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. "As part of the international human rights system, we have the duty to safeguard essential rights such as the right to life, personal integrity, freedom of movement, and work, which are currently being violated by the Chilean State by failing to control terrorist acts in the area," he affirmed.
According to the jurist, the objective of this submission is for the Inter-American Commission to urge the State to implement effective measures that guarantee respect for the rule of law and the safety of both forestry contractors and sector workers.
Acoforag maintains that these acts constitute terrorism and that the Chilean State has failed in its international duties under the American Convention on Human Rights by not guaranteeing the rights to life, physical integrity, freedom of movement, property, and work.
The association emphasizes that it is not seeking financial compensation but rather demands that the IACHR exhort the State of Chile to fulfill its duty to protect a population continuously exposed to acts of violence, ensuring dignified conditions to exercise their right to work and live in peace.
