Boric on the intentionality of the fires: “Let’s put these miserable people behind bars”

The Chilean president, Gabriel Boricinsisted this Tuesday that the security forces “They will search everywhere for anyone found lighting a fire.”and that those responsible“The weight of the law and the rejection of an entire society will fall upon them”because the damage caused is“immeasurable”.

The president assured, in a press conference Viña del Marone of the municipalities affected by the devastating fires that have so far left 131 people dead, that there are several people arrested for causing the fires and also several complaints against peoplewho are trying to light fires”.

LOOK HERE: Fires in Chile LIVE | Last minute of the tragedy in Valparaíso that leaves at least 131 dead

“Let’s find these miserable people and put them behind bars.”, he reiterated.

A Chilean flag flies as neighbors inspect burned houses in Villa Independencia, Valparaíso region, on February 5, 2024. (Photo by Javier TORRES/AFP). (JAVIER TORRES/)

To speed up investigations into alleged crimes, the Undersecretary of the Interior Manuel MonsalveThis Monday, he requested that the Public Ministry prioritize the investigation of those possibly responsible and requested the appointment of a prosecutor exclusively dedicated to the investigation.

Since the start of the forest fires, which last Friday burned the hills of four communes in the region of Valparaiso (Viña del Mar, Villa Alemana, Quilpué and Limache), firefighters and authorities indicated intentionality.

The Minister of the Interior, Carolina Toháadmitted this morning, in an interview with a local media outlet, that “there are enough elements to assume“that these accidents were”intentionally caused“, but probably to”organized groups”.

In turn, on Monday, the head of National defense in the provinces of Valparaíso and Marga Margatwo of those most affected, Rear Admiral Daniel Munoz He first expressed this idea in an interview: “There is evidence of a pattern of behavior that indicates that there was planning, something orchestrated and organized” he pointed out.

Chilean police walk past burned-out vehicles after a forest fire in Quilpue, Viña del Mar, Chile, on February 4, 2024. (Photo by RODRIGO ARANGUA/AFP). (RODRIGO ARANGUA/)

The regional governor of Valparaíso, Rodrigo Mundacaalso highlighted the “manifest intentionality”in the forest fires and said those responsible“They are a bunch of wretches and criminals who came to destroy this city”.

O Municipality of Valparaíso On Saturday, he filed a complaint against those responsible for the crime of arson.

MORE INFORMATION: The impressive images of the fires that devastate central-southern Chile

Daniel Muñoz reported on Monday the arrest of two suspects of starting the fire near the Viña del Mar Botanical Gardenwhich was completely destroyed, however, the local Public Prosecutor’s Office refused to indict them due to lack of evidence and both were released.

The fires started on Friday morning and spread quickly due to strong gusts of wind in the region and extreme temperatures over the past week. The high population density in difficult-to-access lands, coupled with the prolonged drought in Pepper made extinction tasks more difficult.

Until now, and according to the latest record of the National Forestry CorporationThe fires burned almost 10 thousand hectares in the Buenos Aires region.

Source: Elcomercio