Arrests in Temucuicui and of CAM Members Reveal Influx of Young Members

After the third consecutive operation inside the so-called autonomous community of Temucuicui, carried out in the early hours of May 19, led to the arrest of Jorge Huenchullan, authorities and analysts have been cautious about whether the decapitation of radicalized organizations could mean a loss of followers or their dismantling.

On the contrary, the voices consulted agree that recent police strikes have revealed the emergence of new, young members of these criminal organizations, allowing for talk of a "renewal" of individuals available to carry out attacks.

Although Francisco Ljubetic, former regional prosecutor of La Araucanía and current presidential delegate in that area, highlights the number of detainees linked to radicalized organizations, he warns of the presence of new cohorts, making it difficult to determine how many people still belong to them. "If you review the data we have to date, there are approximately 80 people, linked to the various factions that have committed acts of violence, who are in pretrial detention or serving an effective sentence," he emphasizes.

He adds that "there is information being handled at the level of police intelligence and also the Army that indicates there are still active members in the various organizations. Furthermore, it is possible to affirm that some of them have been renewed, precisely with young people who have been joining." As an example, he mentions one of those arrested in the operation on May 6 in Temucuicui, who was placed in pretrial detention.

"At 18 years old, it allows us to affirm that there is a kind of renewal. From a police perspective, there is certainty and confirmation of this. For the same reason, searches are oriented along that line," emphasizes the presidential delegate.

Ljubetic notes that "since the acts of violence began, more than 28 years ago, time has passed for everyone, and those who were once children have now, from the perspective of what they intend, made decisions to continue participating in these violent organizations. It is a fact of the case. Just as some have aged, there are young people who replace them," he says.

"Linked to Profit"

Pablo Urquizar, former security coordinator of the southern macrozone and current head of the Observatory of Organized Crime and Terrorism (Ocrit) at Andrés Bello University, agrees with the rejuvenation of radicalized groups but points out differences with their predecessors. "The original leaders of these organizations have a more ideological link when justifying their criminal actions. In contrast, their successors, who are younger cadres, are more linked to profit and, therefore, are more related to organized crime."

Regarding how the recruitment of new activists takes place, he explains that "these organizations welcome all those who serve to achieve their purposes, whether they are part of their environment or come from outside. Consider the cases of Pablo Marchant (a CAM member who died in 2021 in an armed attack), who was not Mapuche and came from Renca; or Emilio Berkhoff (former CAM member and later militant of Weichan Auka Mapu, convicted in 2022), who also had no connection and emerged from the university world," he states.

"Survival"

Neftalí Carabantes, former undersecretary of Carabineros and director of the Center for Security Studies at Universidad Central, comments that "integrating new members, including minors, is part of an armed survival strategy." He adds that "when historical leaders, such as Héctor Llaitul in the case of the CAM, are arrested, the organization urgently needs to renew its operational command to maintain its criminal actions and not lose its political relevance."

Source:El Mercurio