MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

More arson and terrorist attacks in Mapuche claimed territory, south of Chile

Trucks, heavy machinery and forestry equipment have suffered arson attacks in a region where Mapuche communities claim land and water resources

Following on another arson attack in the Chilean region of La Araucanía, the land of the Mapuche indigenous communities, the presidential delegate Victor Manoli has called on Congress to speed legislation “to pursue and arrest the culprits of these terrorist actions”

“We strongly condemn the attack suffered by a construction company in the early hours of Thursday, when hooded individuals threatened staff looking after the machinery park and set on fire some twelve trucks,” underlined Manoli.

Given this situation, “I am again calling on Congress to approve bills on land usurpations and to arrest hooded individuals who commit crimes, leaving many families without jobs and incomes on which to live”.

Events occurred Thursday dawn when unknown individuals forced their way into the Santa Elvira plant and set on fire twelve trucks, plus heavy duty machinery and barracks.

The presidential delegate in the La Araucania region again called on members of Congress and law abiding citizens and who pay their taxes to strongly condemn these attacks “that can only be described as terrorist actions”.

“What is happening in these counties is responsibility of the Chilean State and not only of those elected officials or whoever is governing the country.

”What we are seeing is not a claim of lands by the Mapuche communities, but terrorist attacks that only want to scare the people to abandon their farms and properties, and unlawfully take them over”.

Mapuche radicals are demanding the Chilean state complies with treaties signed in the XIXth century referred to land and water sources. However the region has become a region of European origin settlers with cattle breeding farms and a booming forestry industry.