Parliamentarians from the Bío Bío region assured that the statements made by the CAM leader, Héctor Llaitul, about the theft of wood for the purchase of weapons and the financing of the cause are a “confession” of illicit acts. They also called on the Government to apply the State Security Law for these statements.
Diverse reactions generated the statements of the Leader of the Arauco Malleco Coordination (CAM) Héctor Llaitul, who recognized that there is “recovery” of wood to buy weapons and finance the cause of the coordinator.
Llaitul issued the statements on June 10, in the midst of a book launch in the Peñalolén commune in the Metropolitan region, at which time he also criticized the Government of Gabriel Boric, calling it fascist for the declaration of a State of Exception.
In the audio he talks about recovering wood and “purchase of iron and bullets” to advance the cause.
“The wood that we recover is to have resources to generate the inputs to rebuild the Mapuche world. Y to have the irons and to have the shots and to have the necessary implements to defend the communities and the processes that are being carried out”, said the CAM leader.
The deputy of the DC and president of the Investigative Commission for the theft of wood in the Chamber, Eric Aedo, stated that the statements of Héctor Llaitul are, practically, a confession.
“We have always said that after the illegal business of wood theft, which moves more than 100 million dollars and which means between five thousand and six thousand hectares of stolen wood a year, with that money, and with that illegal business, violence is financed in the South Macrozone, the purchase of weapons. Héctor Llaitul has done it, he has recognized it, and, therefore, the confession of a party, relief of evidence”indicated the parliamentarian.
The senator of the Socialist Party for the Bío Bío region, Gastón Saavedra, regretted Llaitul’s statements and said that privilege dialogue and not the violence promoted by the spokesperson for the Arauco Malleco Coordinator.
“The dialogue, the agreement, and the incorporation of the political and social actors that represent our original peoples, will lead us to the resolution of this conflict. Not weapons, nor the warlike use of political action”emphasized the former mayor of Talcahuano.
For her part, the DC deputy for the provinces of Arauco and Bío Bío, Joanna Pérez, called on the Government to file a lawsuit against Llaitulinvoking the State Security Law.
Pérez stated that “what Llaitul points out is extremely serious, because he points out that he is actually carrying out an illegal act, which is the theft of wood, to get hold of weapons. I believe that this cannot be tolerated anywhere in the country or the worldand here we must apply the State Internal Security Law”.
Héctor Llaitul adds criticism from other sectors
On the part of the opposition, one of the first to speak out was the former governor of Arauco and current deputy of the UDI, Flor Weisse, who called for the statements to be investigated as soon as possible.
The parliamentarian emphasized that the acknowledgment of the purchase of weapons through theft of wood is serious.
“Regarding the theft of wood, this is a crime, it is very serious, and they also realize that it is used to perpetrate other types of crimes, which is precisely the power to arm oneself, to have weapons to face an armed struggleWeiss said.
Senator Gloria Aravena indicated that “nothing that is said about Héctor Llaitul at this point should be cause for surprise. This video is one more element that confirms the terrorist character of the CAM and its members.”
Aravena added that the theft of wood was a known fact and that the video is nothing more than convincing proof of what they had been denouncing. “These records should be attached to the investigative folder of the complaints filed against Llaitul and his criminal organization”added the senator, who emphasized that the CAM leader is a danger to society and that he cannot continue to travel freely.
On the occasion, Llaitul also claimed the armed struggle, the use of political violence and spoke out against the idea of plurinationality, wielding criticism of the disappeared Constitutional Convention and the conventions of Original Peoples.