Attack in Chile: Police experienced a terrorist ambush that left three dead

Three Carabineros officers, the Chilean Military Police, were victims of an ambush and subsequently murdered in Cañete, in the province of Arauco. President Gabriel Boric decreed national mourning throughout the country. At the same time, the opposition demanded "a radical change in the way of confronting crime," in addition to the resignation of the Minister of Security.

The authorities are reconstructing part of the events and, in turn, searching for those responsible for the attack that also took place on the 97th anniversary of the Carabineros.

What happened in Chile?

The terrorist attack occurred in the early hours of Saturday when authorities received three calls reporting a criminal act, which led a patrol of three officers to go to the scene. However, when the car arrived at the alleged crime scene, it was greeted by a gunfight.

According to preliminary information, the shots were fired with 45-caliber shotguns. The officers exited the vehicle and attempted to respond but were quickly outnumbered and killed by the criminals.

Not content with this, they proceeded to strip them of their weapons and pile the bodies in the car, then douse them with gasoline and set them on fire.

The victims were First Corporal Sergio Antonio Arévalo Lobo (34), First Corporal Misael Magdiel Vidal Cid (30) and First Sergeant Carlos José Cisterna Navarro (43). The three belonged to the night service of the 4th COP Police Station (Public Order Control) Los Álamos.

"With pain, we regret to inform the community and our family about the horrible murder of three of our police officers," they expressed from the security forces' official X account. They also pointed out that their men were "cowardly murdered."

"To their families, to our institutional family, friends and co-workers, our deepest condolences. On this significant date, once again we sadly mourn for those who give their lives for others; for order, security and the homeland," they added.

Due to the area in which the attack occurred, the first investigations point towards radical indigenous groups that operate there, such as the Mapuche Lavkenche Resistance (RML) and also the Coordiadora Arauco Malleco (CAM). However, no one has claimed responsibility.

President Boric's response

The president of Chile, Gabriel Boric, spoke hours after the attack on his X account, where he promised to find those responsible and also confirmed three days of mourning in the country.

"This morning we received the serious and painful news of an attack in the province of Arauco in which three police officers were murdered. After an emergency meeting with ministers Carolina Tohá, Maya Fernández, undersecretaries Manuel Monsalve and Ricardo Montero, and the presidential delegate of Biobío, Daniela Dresdner, we coordinate immediate actions to respond to this cowardly attack. I assure Chileans that there will be no impunity and that we will find the whereabouts of the perpetrators of this terrible crime. Finally, I have decided to declare national mourning for three days throughout the country. Know, Carabineros de Chile, that you are not alone," he wrote.

"The time has come to end goodism and strongly attack terrorism"

On the other hand, the opposition called for more decisive actions and rhetoric against crime. One of the first to speak out was José Antonio Kast, leader of the Republican Party and presidential candidate in 2021.

"Three Carabineros murdered in Arauco. The time has come to end goodism and strongly attack terrorism. State of siege, closure and strengthening of borders and dismissal of the urgent security cabinet. President Boric, the time has come to wake up," he said on X.

In turn, the Republican Party published a statement demanding the resignation of the Minister of Security, Carolina Tohá.

"The ideology that supports this government and the hatred that those who govern us today installed, are directly responsible for the persecution and harassment of Carabineros. The time has come for them to take concrete and decisive actions to reverse the serious impact of their irresponsibility," they added.

Another dissident voice to speak out was Evelyn Matthei, mayor of Providencia, who stated that the attack must "mark a turning point in Chile."

“Not only do we have to fight drug traffickers, organized crime and terrorists with much more force and resources, but we also have to start thinking as a society about what we are going to do with those officials who are weakening the fight against it,” she stated. .