Victims of attacks in the south are uneasy about Government signals to de-escalate the state of emergency

Victims of attacks expressed concern regarding the Government's announcements that it is evaluating a de-escalation of the constitutional state of emergency in the emergency zone, which has been in effect since May 17, 2022, in the 14 municipalities of the Biobío province, the 7 of Arauco, and the 32 in the La Araucanía Region. The Executive's decision was stated by Defense Minister Fernando Barros when requesting the renewal of the measure before the Chamber. There, he explained that "there is the intention to gradually reduce the presence (of the Armed Forces), to take actions that allow a return to normality, strengthening Carabineros and the PDI, so that they can normally maintain control of public order."

René Muñoz, manager of the Association of Forestry Contractors, a union that has been the victim of 525 attacks, also rejects a potential withdrawal of the military. "We, based on what was said during the presidential campaign, expected the measures currently in force to be reinforced," he stated. "You cannot de-escalate without, at the very least, managing to dismantle the violent groups. That is the minimum we expect," he said.

Christian Grollmus, a judge and one of the victims of the attack against his family and his properties in Contulmo on August 29, 2022, expressed that "the problem is not that the state of emergency is in force, but that it is not being used." He emphasized that "we are concerned that there is talk of de-escalation when we still do not see a plan or a concrete strategy to combat the dozen criminal and violent organizations operating in the southern macro-zone."

Thus, he requested that raids be carried out "in order to seize weapons and find subjects with arrest warrants."

Patricio Santibáñez, president of the Multiguild of La Araucanía, considered that a potential withdrawal of the Armed Forces would be "a hasty decision." He recalled that "in the areas of greatest conflict in the southern macro-zone, which also have the largest Mapuche population, President José Antonio Kast obtained the highest support percentages, with votes over 70%. The demands of the inhabitants of those areas are for greater security."

He pointed out that "it would be quite contradictory for the Government to de-escalate the state of emergency, disregarding that demand and without finishing the work of dismantling the terrorist groups."

Source:El Mercurio