On a rural road in southern Chile, a tragic and violent ambush resulted in the deaths of three law enforcement officers. The attack, which occurred near Concepcion and some 400 kilometers south of Santiago, has shaken the nation, prompting President Gabriel Boric to declare three days of national mourning.
The victims, identified as Sergeant Carlos Cisterna, Corporal Sergio Arevalo, and Corporal Misael Vidal, were responding to what authorities have described as false emergency calls. As they reached the location, they were met with a barrage of gunfire from heavy-calibre weapons, and their vehicle was set ablaze. The announcement of their deaths coincided with National Police Day in Chile, a day intended to celebrate the 97th anniversary of the establishment of the Carabineros, the country’s national police force.
The perpetrator of the assault remains unclear, but a long-standing conflict between the Mapuche Indigenous community and landowners and forestry companies in the region has escalated in recent years. This conflict has led the government to declare a state of emergency and deploy the military to ensure security.
Tensions between the Mapuche indigenous community, who constitute approximately one in ten Chileans, and the forestry companies and landowners have continued to escalate. The Mapuches have resisted since Spanish colonial times and claim that their ancestral lands have been invaded by these modern enterprises. The struggle has often spilled over into violence, including theft of timber and attacks on various targets. Boric, who traveled to the area on Saturday with a large contingent, including top military and congressional officials and the president of the Supreme Court, offered condolences to the victims’ families, promising the killers would be found and brought to justice.
President Boric has faced this latest test of security and policy in the area. Having assumed office in 2022, he pledged to tackle and alleviate regional tensions. The indigenous community’s lack of trust in the authorities has grown, leading to violence despite Boric’s government highlighting a 6% decrease in Chile’s national homicide rate, as per 2023 government data released previously.
In an emotional statement, President Boric labeled the incident “cowardly” and vowed to find and bring the killers to justice. He stated, “Today the entire country is in mourning. There is heartbreak, sorrow, anger. But these emotions do not paralyse us, they force us, they mobilise us,” reflecting the nation’s collective shock and resolve. He, along with top military and judiciary officials, personally offered condolences to the victims’ families.
Interior Minister Carolina Tohá has expressed that this attack contravenes the progress made so far, emphasizing the government’s commitment to reducing violence and improving relationships in the region.
The Carabineros’s general director, Ricardo Yáñez, spoke to the media, saying, “This was not coincidental, it was not random,” suggesting a deliberate and planned assault. The authorities are now on a heightened alert and are conducting thorough investigations to identify the assailants.
Relevant articles:
– Assailants ambush and kill 3 police officers in southern Chile, shaking the country, apnews.com, 04/29/2024
– Chile declares national mourning after three police officers killed, Al Jazeera English, Sun, 28 Apr 2024 07:23:51 GMT