The murder of three militarized police officers Carabineros occurred in the central-southern area of Chile, in the region of Bio Bioearly this Saturday morning, just the commemorative day of the institution, plunged Chilean society into a state of shock and deep commotion.
President Gabriel Boricwho as soon as he heard the news, gathered his crisis cabinet and publicly condemned the attack, headed to the place, more than 600 kilometers south of the capitalaccompanied by a delegation of representatives of the three powers of the State, and called for political unity to face the situation.
The police officers were found burned inside a police patrol on a route in the town of Cañetenear the city of Conception.
The area is under military guard due to the arson attacks that are recorded there, mostly attributed to radical mapuche groupsthe largest Chilean ethnic group, which demands the restitution of ancestral lands.
The attack occurred on the day that the Carabineros, the Chilean militarized police, celebrated its 97th anniversary.
The deceased were identified as Carlos José Cisterna Navarro, Misael Magdiel Vidal Cid and Sergio Antonio Arévalo Lobo, who were found dead by Firefighters volunteers.
At 43 years old and with 24 years of service in the institution, Carlos Cisterna Navarro was a respected figure in the fourth COP Police Station in Los Álamos.
Father of a 6-year-old boy, he dedicated much of his life to protecting and serving his country. His police career took him to different destinations in La Araucanía and finally to Bio Bío, where he found his home.
In September 2016, he repelled an armed attack that earned him recognition for his professionalism.
He was elevated to the rank of first sergeant in May 2022 and specialized in rural operations police strategies and tactics, in addition to receiving training in human rights and police intervention techniques.
At only 34 years old and with 14 years of service, Sergio Arévalo Lobo began his career in the Fifth Police Station of Quirihue and was recognized on multiple occasions for his professionalism and commitment, standing out in the arrest of criminals and the recovery of stolen livestock.
His last recognition was in 2022, consolidating his trajectory of bravery and service.
He was the youngest of the agents murdered this Saturday, he was 30 years old and had 10 years of service as a first corporal. He began his career at the 54th Huechuraba Police Station and moved to the Fourth COP Los Álamos Police Station in 2016.
He was married and the father of a 3-year-old boy.
Its recognition in 2022 for its “high degree of professionalism, efficiency, commitment and dedication” It is part of a legacy of dedication to the cause of public safety in Chile.
The attack takes place the same week that the justice system found Héctor Llaitul, leader of the Coordinadora Arauco-Malleco (CAM), one of the groups that has claimed arson attacks in the area.
Llaitul risks up to 25 years in prison for these crimes, in a sentence that the court will announce on May 7.
(With information from AFP and EFE)
