A major breakthrough in the murder investigation of three police officers in southern Chile has been made by the Carabineros. On Sunday, three suspects were arrested in the area where the massacre occurred on Saturday. The incident has shocked the country and is considered the worst in recent history for the institution. Investigations are focusing on radicalized Mapuche sectors as the suspected perpetrators, but the government has not ruled out other leads.
The intense police operation that led to the triple arrest took place in Cañete, a southern region of Bio Bio where Carlos Cisterna, Sergio Arévalo, and Misael Vidal were brutally murdered and their bodies burned. The identities of the suspects have not been released yet. The Cañete area, like all of Araucania, is known for frequent clashes between violent sectors of the Mapuche community and state forces over a long-standing conflict over land rights.
President Gabriel Boric has called the crime a “terrorist attack” and vowed to use all legal tools to ensure those responsible receive maximum punishment in light of a growing security crisis in Chile. The town of Cañete is located about 500 kilometers south of Santiago and was celebrating its 97th anniversary at the time of attack.
In addition to this incident, Hector Llaitul, a leader of Arauco-Malleco Coordinator was found guilty by court for various charges including “violent usurpation of property” and “attack against authority.” Llaitul faces up to 25 years imprisonment. The government has announced it will file a complaint against those responsible for tripled murder seeking harshest penalties possible for this crime. The area where attack took place has been under state emergency since May 2022 due to attacks from armed groups.
The Minister of Interior Carolina Tohá condemned this horrific act and called for justice to be served while also emphasizing that it is not enough just to hold criminals accountable but also identifying underlying causes that lead such crimes happening again and again .