Calls for Action: Kast and Jara Urged to Address ‘Blood Salmon’ Controversy Amid Rising Deaths of Divers in Salmon Farms

Original article: Interpelan a Kast y Jara por “salmones de sangre”: Exigen a presidenciables pronunciamiento por decenas de buzos muertos en salmoneras

Calls for Action: Kast and Jara Urged to Address Rising Deaths of Workers in the Salmon Industry: End the Silence on Preventable Diver Deaths

The «Defend Patagonia» campaign has issued a powerful statement directed at presidential candidates José Antonio Kast and Jeannette Jara, demanding an end to their silence regarding the alarming situation faced by diver workers in the salmon farming industry. The publication highlights that numerous workers have tragically lost their lives due to preventable incidents, including asphyxiation, severe decompression, and the use of inadequate equipment. The campaign accuses companies of operating with impunity, failing to face effective sanctions for these tragedies.

The campaign’s message directly challenges the presidential contenders, highlighting an apparent contradiction in their public stances. While they respond promptly to inquiries about security, immigration, or economic issues, their silence regarding these deaths of Chileans is, according to the campaign, both revealing and concerning. The central question raised is whether the lives of divers are valued less than the pursuit of social media popularity, thereby questioning their true commitment to worker protection.

Civic groups associated with the campaign demand clear answers and concrete public commitments. Their specific inquiries seek to clarify the candidates’ political will to act: will they support rigorous oversight of the salmon farming sector, advocate for exemplary sanctions against companies prioritizing profits over worker safety, and commit to creating legislation that ensures effective working conditions, including operational cameras, mandatory decompression, and decent insurance?

The final call is to end vague statements and complicity silence. «Defend Patagonia» urges Kast and Jara to publicly define whether their support for workers is an unwavering principle or a politically convenient stance. They conclude that Chile deserves to know the truth about the real commitment of its potential leaders to the life and dignity of workers in one of the country’s most dangerous professions.