Unified command achieves approval, but insecurity persists among visitors

In the first week of the "unified command" under Brigadier General José Manuel Soto of the Army, established by the Government to lead the state of exception in the southern macrozone, industry groups highlight that the implemented changes have maintained a "similar level of deployment" to that which existed before June 20.

Until that date, the Navy guarded the provinces of Arauco and Biobío, while the Army was in charge of La Araucanía.

But while the measure gains approval from those who live and regularly travel along Route 5 South, they note that the "perception of insecurity" persists among those from other areas who travel in fear of suffering attacks.

Productive sectors in the regions under the constitutional measure agree that to attract investment to the area and boost tourism, one of the priorities is to reverse that perception.

Between Thursday and Friday, the manager of the Forestry Contractors Association, René Muñoz, traveled over 400 km and confirmed a marked presence of personnel on the roads. However, he states that this deployment must also consider that, during those days, President José Antonio Kast had an agenda in La Araucanía. "I could see a lot of military and police presence at every road crossing," he recounts.

In his analysis, there is consensus among productive organizations "on the need to strengthen security to revive economic development."

Muñoz maintains that people coming from other regions "want to cross Malleco quickly because they feel insecure and fear suffering attacks. That stigmatization is a great lament for the area; people want to pass through to get to Pucón and don't stop to

explore other tourist destinations. Even if attack numbers go down, the perception of insecurity continues."

He also points out that during the presidential visit, "a commitment was made to reverse that perception."

"Changing the perception"

The president of the Malleco Farmers Association, Sebastián Naveillán, states that "it has been discussed that reducing attacks is not enough. We need to change the perception people have of the region. This is a joint effort through a plan involving the State and private sectors to promote the region to visitors."

On Friday, he covered over 100 km and confirmed the military presence on the routes. "Those of us who live in the region are used to seeing the Mowag tanks and the Army deployment. We have to show security to the population and also to visitors," he says, adding that this tour "leaves the feeling that there is coordinated work that provides great safety when traveling on the roads, and the challenge of all these measures is to productively boost the area."

José Miguel Stegmeier, president of the Southern Agricultural Consortium and vice president of the SNA, recounts that "we have the same positive perception as before the changes were made: we see patrols, surveillance posts, and tours along rural roads."

He shares the perception that "even if terrorism is less intense, it still drives away people and investments. So, when this normalizes, we will have a widespread sense of security." He adds another aspect: "There are areas, from Mulchén southward, where there is no phone signal for almost 50 km, which creates a greater feeling of helplessness."

For Patricio Santibáñez, president of the Multigremial of La Araucanía, what matters "is progress in reducing the number of attacks and dismantling terrorist groups." He considers that "tactical decisions are not central, unless there are setbacks that force a review."

Regarding the perception in other regions about violence in the southern macrozone, he maintains that "although there is a real decrease in violent incidents, by maintaining lower levels, the image and investment decisions are still affected."

Santibáñez emphasizes that "the goal must be to completely eradicate violence" and highlights that "during President Kast's visit, we secured a commitment to maintain the state of exception and hopefully achieve zero attacks in this government."

Source: El Mercurio