SalmonChile A.G. joins the anti-Mapuche People offensive of the “MultiGremial Rifle Association” in Araucanía, South Chile

SalmonChile A.G, and the so called “MultiGremial Association” have threatened the Government, Parliament and the Judiciary that if the rule of law does not prevail throughout the national territory (…), “we declare ourselves free to take other types of demonstration actions with the aim of demanding to the powers of the State to solve the problem”.

Temuco, August 12^th, 2020 (radiodelmar.cl) – An incendiary public statement has been made by the recently created and self-styled “ National MultiGremial Association”, a coalition integrated -according to the text-, by 165 employer organizations, linked to the Chilean extreme right wing sectors. Among the business organizations that sign up is SalmonChile AG, which represents the large families and transnational companies producers and exporters of farmed salmon in southern Chile, which are in constant territorial and environmental conflicts with the Mapuche, Kawesqar and Yagán First Nations.

Along with the salmon company are Corma (Chilean Wood Corporation), the Chilean National Cargo Transport Confederation (CNTC), Sofo (Temuco´s Agricultural Producer), Armasur (Shipping Transport Owners Assoc.), Ami-Chile (Aquaculture Producers (Shellfish), and different terrestrial transport companies (Truckers Assoc.).

The statement indicates that «due to an absent State that does not give guarantees to its citizens», the member companies of the MultiGremial Association make a public call for self-tutelage when they indicate «we demand for the last time all the powers of the State -Executive, Legislative and Judicial-, act in the shortest time to regain social peace and make the rule of law prevail throughout the national territory”.

SalmonChile A.G. and the MultiGremial Association threaten that «otherwise, we declare ourselves free to take other types of actions with the aim of demanding that the powers of the State solve the problem.»

Anti-Mapuche Supremacists Call for Increased Repression in South Chile

In its statement, the MultiGremial Association indicates in an apocalyptic way that “our penal system is in check. One per cent of the attacks have a known accused. There is a general flaw in the intelligence, investigative and evidentiary capacity of prosecutors, as well as excessive guarantees from judges. Without perpetrators, clear evidence and convictions, the job is sterile. We ask for the utmost urgency to legislate to update and improve the investigative and judicial system».

«We have decided to stop being a silent majority»

At the end of their statement, the companies threatened again when they warned that, “as a National MultiGremial Association , we will call to reject everything and everyone who promotes or remains silent in the face of violence. We will do it throughout the country, because we will not accept the cynicism of those who have been silent in the face of brutal acts of violence (…) The unions, entrepreneurs and workers are overwhelmingly more than the terrorists and violent people who today destroy, intimidate, loot, burn, murder, traffic drugs and bully. The fearful silence of the majority feeds the violent. For this reason, we have decided to stop being a great silent majority”.

Centro Ecoceanos: What do consumers, international NGOs and Nordic, European and Canadian salmon companies that operate in Chile think of SalmonChile declaration?

The Ecoceanos Centre pointed out that “the anti-Mapuche people public statement of SalmonChile A.G., only worsens the bad environmental, health and labor image that this mega exporting industry has, so it will have consequences in international markets when it becomes involved from a supremacist position in the indigenous conflict and the violation of human rights in the South of Chile».

Indigenous peoples’ organizations, social movements and citizen organizations are alert to the position that Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Canadian, German, Japanese and Chinese salmon companies that operate in the southern territories of Chile will take, and those of the certifying companies and international NGOs that collaborate with this industry, facing the call for self-supervision and the violence of the so-called “MultiGremial Association” of which SalmónChile AG is part.

See: Multi Gremial Association and Salmon Chile A.G. public declaration

https://media.elmostrador.cl/2020/08/declaracion-publica-multigremial.pdf