The President of Chile, Gabriel Boric, has recognized that his government made «a false step» and «sinned of voluntarism» during the first visit of a political representative to La Araucanía in mid-May, when the then Minister of the Interior, Izkia Siches, was greeted with gunfire.
«We had as a Government, and I think it is important to recognize it, a false step in our first visit, where we sinned of voluntarism and where we had very complicated incidents that affected our Minister of the Interior», said President Boric.
The president has concluded his first trip to La Araucanía since he was named president last March, a visit which, he says, has been «tremendously important» and which «he was very eager to make», as reported by the Chilean television channel Canal 13.
However, taking stock of what happened in May with Siches, Boric has stressed that that episode served the Executive to realize that «the situation in La Araucanía must be addressed without shortcuts» and that «communicative maneuvers» are of no use.
«One has to come with a solid, robust agenda, and that is why it took us a long time to prepare it, but we believed it was important not to disappoint the people», emphasized the Chilean president, who regretted that the population of this area of the country is already «tired of promises» and has the right to live in peace, get out of poverty and have basic guarantees, such as access to drinking water.
«It is important that we do not naturalize violence, this cannot continue to happen and we are going to strengthen both the policies and the communities to ensure that the inhabitants of La Araucanía can live in peace», he remarked.
Former Minister Siches traveled to La Araucanía in May, while still in office as head of the Interior Ministry. Her delegation was received with gunshots in the air and barricades by Mapuche communities, which caused the cancellation of her agenda.
Now, with Boric’s visit, violence has returned to the forefront, especially this Thursday, when several arson attacks have been registered in the area. The President has already declared this type of actions as «terrorist», although he has recognized that the authorities «have not been able to find a way for peace».
