A radical group claiming to represent the interests of Chile's Mapuche indigenous people has called for a campaign of sabotage to be stepped up against the South American nation's salmon farming companies.
It follows the recent arrest of Hector Llaitul, 54, leader of the Coordinadora Arauco-Malleco (CAM), as Chile prepares to hold a referendum on a new constitution on Sunday.
A message republished by Mapuche publication Werken Noticias called for "continued resistance and sabotage mainly against the logging, hydroelectric, mining and salmon industries."
CAM is seen as the radical wing of the Mapuche indigenous movement in southern Chile.
In recent years the salmon farming industry has become unwittingly ensnared in the fight for indigenous land rights with sporadic attacks on installations and vehicles transporting fish.
Attacks on trucks carrying farmed salmon such as the one in July 2021 brought the struggle for indigenous rights into sharp focus, and has left the industry at a loss for how to approach the movement.
Salmon producers tend to be situated further south than the main Mapuche indigenous communities, but in addition to sporadic direct attacks, the industry has been impacted by violent protests.
The after-effects, including truckers' strikes, have led to calls on the government to increase security and crack down on the attackers.
