Approximate reading time: 2 minutes, 43 seconds
“Our children have been photographed, they have been recorded on the way to school”: Deputy Mulet warns of “CNI-type” actions by Codelco after meeting with union leaders who denounce persecution.
The deputy and member of the Mining and Energy Commission of the Chamber, Jaime Mulet of the Social Green Regionalist Federation (FREVS), together with his colleagues from the instance received this Wednesday part of the Chuquicamata Union, who denounced a serious situation of persecution and intimidation by Codelco and its private guards.
In this regard, Deputy Mulet emphasized that “we know the Chuquicamata workers’ union, they have been on the Mining Commission on more than one occasion. It is a union of the large Codelco unions in Chuquicamata. It has a great track record, there are leaders who have many years of consolidated track record. I want to say that because it’s not just any union. It is one that has also denounced the practices and causes of the deterioration that Codelco, and particularly Chuquicamata, has had. It is a union that has also proposed technical solutions with its professionals to improve conditions.”
In that sense, the representative of Atacama added that “that is, a union that is denouncing. As, in some way, the country today knows that Codelco has a situation of deterioration not only in its labor relations but also financially, in its declining production; These leaders have been denouncing the causes, what has happened, those responsible. And it gives the impression that they are persecuting them, precisely, because they are denouncing who is damaging the state company that is so important for this country, not just for Antofagasta.”
For these reasons, the parliamentarian points out that “the situation is serious also for that reason, they are complainants, they are people who are doing things and who do not submit to an administration of the division that is authoritarian and that reaches these extreme limits of hiring former Armed Forces and police officials to monitor the workers, who use guns. They are armed to even tie up and attack a union leader. To monitor workers in their private homes, in the city of Calama, and take photos of their children. That is, actions of intimidation of the Nazi type, obviously, the DINA type, the CNI type, which is extremely serious.”
That is why “these leaders who are in that position and we are going to do everything, from the mining caucus and the different caucuses that we represent, whatever we have to do to defend freedom of association, to defend the rights of union leaders and of any citizen and, obviously also, and to also defend Codelco,” said the legislator.
For his part, the treasurer of the Chuquicamata Union, Miguel Veliz Fernández, showed his obvious concern about what he described as “that a harmful practice of this severity is an everyday occurrence. We hope that the efforts we are taking in court will be resolved promptly, since we see the safety of our families seriously affected. We are talking about this not being a persecution in private industrial areas, this is our homes. “Our children have been photographed, they have been recorded on their way to school, and that cannot be allowed in a rule of law.”
“So we call on all who can collaborate to achieve justice. And mainly to the board of directors of Codelco so that, once and for all, they magnify that the indisposition they are causing to the main state company is their absolute responsibility. And also that they take the necessary measures for that,” he added.
Likewise, he said that “we appreciate the transversal support that we have received in the Chamber, especially from the deputies who accompany us. We are available to attend all commissions. And we are going to collaborate to get to the bottom of this situation so that this stops and the most drastic sanctions are also taken against those responsible for this serious violation of the human rights of which we are being victims, both the union leaders and the workers.” .
Meanwhile, deputy Sebastián Videla (IND) also showed his support for the union leaders, expressing that “enough is enough with the crime we have in the north, but now these thuggish acts by Codelco are added,” and adding that “we hope that Máximo Pacheco can also take the corresponding actions because, truly, what is happening at Codelco is shameful.”
Finally, deputy Nathalie Castillo (PC) stated that “the importance of Codelco as a state company that delivers tremendous returns to the economy of our country is undeniable, but what we cannot allow is the state copper company today. against workers, against unionization and carrying out persecutions that are outside of any rule of law.”
