SANTIAGO – A new incendiary attack in the south east of Cañete, Bío Bío region, left four private forestry machineries completely destroyed on Saturday.
According to preliminary information, the events occurred in a private property called La Fortuna, in the Pocuno Alto sector, in the Nahuelbuta mountain range.
Emergency personnel were working in the area, fighting the flames to control the fire, the Latercera reported.
There was no report of any injuries to the workers.
The mayor of Cañete, Jorge Radonich, said that “there are no suspicious people and in reality this complicates us every day more (…). Many times the only machinery that companies have lost and they are absolutely impoverished. Because for this sector there are no insurance, they no longer cover neither housing nor machinery. So, to whom do we turn? Who is responsible for the loss?”
Radonich was concerned about the attack, making a new call to the authorities to provide greater security in the sector. “People here are very scared. I ask that in reality, and once and for all, the State take the reins of the matter and start looking for guilty (…) We are absolutely helpless,” he claimed.
The governor of the province of Arauco, Humberto Toro, went to the site where the burning of the machinery occurred. He also stated that Carabineros did not find pamphlets or stripes alluding to the Mapuche cause.
Contrary to the concern expressed by the communal chief, Toro said that there are several people imprisoned for this type of acts and that the area is quiet.
