During the formal hearing against Lonco Guillermo Ñiripil Cheuquemán, who was accused of extortion and threats against a businessman, the victim revealed that another businessman had also been a victim of the accused. It was reported that the community member had collected $60 million from the forestry businessman to avoid destruction of his forests. Ñiripil is in pretrial detention for the charges.
The Public Ministry formally charged the community member for extortion after collecting $18 million pesos from the owner of a property to avoid burning a pine forest. However, new evidence has been presented against Ñiripil where another crime has been added to the extortion charges.
The theft of wood has mutated into extortion where owners are threatened with personal harm or damage if they do not pay a sum of money, said Roberto Garrido, the regional prosecutor of the Public Ministry.
Following the background of the case, the Lautaro Guarantee judge, Etienne Fellay, issued the precautionary measure of preventive detention for the accused for three months despite the defense’s opposition. Another community member, José Pichunhuala, who also participated in the investigation, was arrested by OS9 Carabineros team.
During the formalization hearing against the lonco accused of extortion and threats against a businessman so as not to burn his property, the affected person revealed that another man would also have been a victim of the accused, in which case the community member collected $60 million.
New details have been revealed after the arrest of the lonco, Guillermo Ñiripil Cheuquemánwho is in pretrial detention after being accused of extortion and threats against the owner of the Casablanca farm on the Lautaro-Curacautín route, La Araucanía region.
Let us remember that the Public Ministry formalized the community member this Wednesday, where he was charged with the extortion charges after collecting $18 million pesos from the owner of the property in exchange for not burning a pine forest.
However, new precedents have been presented against Ñiripil, werkén (spokesperson) of the Mapuche community. From the High Complexity Prosecutor’s Office itself, they warned that another crime is added to this crime.
Although he was not denounced, another businessman would also be a victim of the accused. This was reported during the formalization hearing, where it was revealed that another forestry businessman would have paid $60 million to prevent the destruction of his forests.
It should be noted that while the lonco Ñiripil was presented to the Court, another community member was arrested by the OS9 Carabineros team. This is José Pichunhuala, who also participated in the events under investigation, according to the general, Manuel Cifuentes.
Lonco and extortion: new modus operandi in wood theft
The regional prosecutor of the Public Ministry, Roberto Garrido, acknowledged that After the measures applied to prevent the theft of wood, a mutation of this crime has been noticed up to extortion.
“This situation occurs as a mutation in theft of wood It has decreased significantly in recent months. However, we have noticed that other forms have emerged associated with the benefit in terms of the exploitation of wood”, explained Garrido.
In this regard, this “consists of threatening the owners with personally affecting them or causing them harm if an amount of money is not paid,” he specified.
The Lautaro Guarantee judge, Etienne Fellay, after hearing the background of the case and despite the opposition of the defense, issued the precautionary measure of preventive detention for the accused.
In this way, a period of three months was determined for the investigation of the facts presented in this case.
The arrest of Guillermo Ñiripil Cheuquemán has shed light on a disturbing trend of extortion and threats towards forestry businessmen in the La Araucanía region. New details have emerged revealing that another businessman was also a victim of the accused, paying $60 million to avoid the destruction of his forests. This mutation in the crime of wood theft has been noticed by authorities, who are actively taking measures to prevent it. The precautionary measure of preventive detention has been issued for the accused, and a three-month investigation period has been determined. It is important to address and prevent these illegal practices from continuing to harm individuals and businesses in the region.