MADRID, 23 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Armed and hooded individuals have set fire to Camp Oldenburgo, on a forest land belonging to the Arauco company in the commune of La Unión, in the region of La Araucanía, in southern Chile.
The assailants, between eight and ten, arrived at the scene, intimidated workers who were preparing to have dinner at that time and burned company infrastructure and vehicles, according to the Chilean radio station Radio Bío Bío.
Some of the workers were even in the shower when they were forced to leave the place, later taking refuge in the forest. They then set fire to facilities, infrastructure and machinery, including a truck and a van.
“They arrived armed, the staff was doing all the work of showering. They entered the camp, threatened the workers with weapons, told them to come out and proceeded to burn,” explained an affected businessman, Jorge Jiménez.
The Prosecutor’s Office has entrusted the case to the Investigative Police and the presence of the Carabineros Special Police Operations Group (GOPE) has been requested.
The balance of material damage is eight burned vehicles – five cars, two tank trucks, a motor grader – and two stolen work vans.
In La Araucanía, the Chilean region with the highest concentration of Mapuche indigenous people, the indigenous people demand the return of their ancestral lands and denounce harassment by the Chilean government.
The authorities -during the mandate of former Chilean President Sebastián Piñera- have repeatedly denied these accusations and, on the contrary, have pointed to the natives as being responsible for numerous violent incidents in the area, such as attacks on farms and their owners. .
