MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Chile buries seven fire-fighters; strong suspicion of criminal intent in forest fires
Interior minister Rodrigo Hinzpeter points to fringe extreme groups The home of a Mapuche Indian leader in Chile was destroyed in a suspicious blaze in an area ravaged by forest fires, which officials say may have been caused by radical indigenous activists.
Police said hooded assailants also torched the home of a retired military officer and fired at officers in the forest region of Araucania, as seven fire-fighters killed there last week in a massive wildfire were buried Sunday.
Jose Santos Millao, who represents the Mapuche Indians on the National Corporation for Indigenous Development, told reporters his house had “no electricity,” making the source of the blaze suspicious. No one was hurt.
An unusually hot and dry start to the Chilean summer has seen more than 50 wildfires, fanned by high winds, burn down scores of homes and destroy some 50,000 hectares of woodland and brush in recent days.
Chilean President Sebastian Piñera invoked controversial anti-terror legislation after the seven fire fighters -- private contractors for forestry company Mininco -- were killed on Thursday in a mountain forest near Carahue.
“We have reliable information that makes us presume there is criminal intent behind these fires,” Piñera said.
Interior Minister Rodrigo Hinzpeter hinted that the blazes may have been the work of the Arauco-Malleco Coordination Group (CAM), a fringe group of Mapuche land activists that had claimed arson attacks that destroyed a fire fighting helicopter and other forestry vehicles on December 30.
Araucania is a hub for the Mapuche Indians, who make up six percent of Chile's 18-million-strong population. Mapuche activists claim their ancestral lands in the region have been taken over by forestry companies.
Activists have carried out sporadic attacks or acts of sabotage in recent years against corporate holdings or the installations of security forces. Three Mapuche activists were killed in clashes with police about 10 years ago.
Fires have also struck the forest regions of Biobio and Maule, some 500 to 700 kilometres south of the capital Santiago.
Interior minister Rodrigo Hinzpeter points to fringe extreme groups
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Disclaimer & comment rules-
Read all commentsThe CAM is an leftist extreme guerrilla group, leaded by a known friend of Colombian's FARCS guerrilla and trainned abroad to provoke fake expectations and claims from the common indigenous people whom just want a good work to develope their families.
Jan 10th, 2012 - 07:53 pm 0The CAM put on fire the facilities and houses from farm near Collipulli two days ago, so if you have an forest fire with 7 different focus at the same time it´s likely an provoked fire by the same that are destroying facilities and farm homes by fire, don´t oyu think ???? And later tehy appeared as the victims of the order forces.....known extreme left guerrillas tactic....!!!
Well done, Mr. Piñera, apply the anti-terror legislation to this barbaric people who is destroying the Chilean patrimony and social convivence....
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