The head general of the National Defense in La Araucanía, Luis Felipe Cuéllar, made a harsh and warlike summons, after the weekly meeting held by the chiefs of the police, the government authorities and the person in charge of providing security and support to the troops that They patrol the roads of the South Macrozone.
General Cuéllar was emphatic in pointing out that “we are not policemen, we are part of the Armed Forces. Whoever speaks speaks on behalf of the Chilean Army, and we are a force trained to fight in war.”
“We here,” he added, “are not challenging absolutely anyone, but if they shoot at us, the response may not be what other institutions have had. If they shoot at us, our people, who do not use blank ammunition, he is going to use his weapons: he is going to identify the target and there are going to be casualties, that is a reality. There are going to be casualties”.
“That is why I tell you, and I repeat emphatically, that there are cowardly people here who kill unarmed civilians. Why don’t you confront us? I invite you,” he said.
For his part, the national coordinator for the Southern Macrozone, Pablo Urquizar, pointed out that “the State of Emergency is more necessary than ever, because it is these organizations that do not distinguish ethnic origin or political color, which end up seriously affecting life and the physical integrity of Mapuche and non-Mapuche families”,
Both authorities agreed that one of the main difficulties in developing security tasks is the extension of the territory to be protected, three times greater than the Metropolitan Region, which is extremely complex in its geography and climate.
“It is unacceptable that the head of Defense makes these irresponsible and irrational statements that threaten peace in Wallmapu. General Cuellar must clarify whether this is a personal or institutional opinion and assume his responsibility as it corresponds in a State of law,” he criticized. Deputy Jorge Brito (RD).
Cuéllar’s statements come after the death of farmer Joel Ovalle in Angol and that of forestry worker Andrés Millanao in Cañete. In addition, after registering an armed attack on a driver that resulted in a gunshot wound to the face in the Las Rosas sector of the route that connects Lumaco with Los Sauces and an arson attack in the Quetre de Galvarino sector that ended with a harvester destroyed and a smaller vehicle set on fire by an armed group of hooded men.
