Chile: one dead in a new shooting attack in the Mapuche region of Araucanía

The attacks on Chile’s Araucanía have not stopped, but are also growing. This morning, a new act of terrorist characteristics took place by a group of violent people ambushed a bus of forest workers leading to the work of Forestal Mininco, in the town of Capitán Pastene.

In the afternoon, the death of Segundo Catril Neculqueo was reported (66), who was shot in the skull. Aside from Catril, two other workers were injured and hospitalized.

The group of Forestal workers were, for the most part, from Mapuche. Many of them are residents of nearby communities, where forestry companies tried to keep their activities operational, favoring their acquisition. They travel on a bus in the Los Laureles sector, near the town of Relún.

The attack

The attempt prompted an evacuation operation and treating the patient, who was rushed by police helicopter to Temuco Hospital.

However, the efforts have been unsuccessful. “Dr. regrets. Hernán Henríquez Aravena Hospital to inform that despite the efforts made by the clinical team of the Intensive Care Unit of the establishment, at 4:08 pm today, Tuesday, May 24, 2022, the SACN patient, 66 years old, died as a result of severe injury caused to the cranial area derived from a ballistic projectile impact ”, they indicated from the medical facility through a statement.

The High Complexity Prosecutor’s Office initiated the investigations and ordered the Special Police Investigations Brigade and the Criminalistics Laboratory of the PDI to conduct the initial expert reports. Aside from this, the government announced a criminal complaint against those found responsible for the murder.

the president is tough

Chilean President Gabriel Boric referred to the issue on his twitter account: “Once again, violence has taken its toll. I said it this morning and I proved it again today: We will not tolerate violence imposed as a means of conflict resolution, nor will it be the trend of the country. My condolences and regret to the family of Juan Segundo Catril Neculqueo ”.

For his part, Raúl Allard, Araucanía Presidential Delegate, taught that “this It is a drama that has deeply affected us As a Government, we have delivered it to the family and we will support it all the time. ”Allard did not spare adjectives to identify homicide perpetrators:“ they are criminal gangs, ”he pointed out wholeheartedly. .

Also joining the denial of this new death in the area was Interior head Izkia Siches: “I sincerely sympathize with the family and close friends of Juan Segundo Catril Neculqueo, a 66-year-old worker and father of four. son. There is no justification for an expression of this kind of violence. We will go below, looking to find those responsible, ”he said.

Tomorrow will mark a week in which the military is deployed on several routes in Araucanía, following President Boric’s decision to impose a State of Exception. However, new facts have led the opposition to insist that the army be given greater power and field of action, which is legally possible because the command that mobilized the Armed Forces allows it.

PB