PewenMapu Groups Condemn Minister García Ruminot’s Comments on Araucarias: «A Distortion That Minimizes Damage»

Original article: En PewenMapu rechazan declaraciones de ministro García Ruminot por araucarias: “Constituye una caricatura e invisibiliza los daños”

“The Argument is Unacceptable”: Pewen Defense Coordinator Rejects Minister José García Ruminot’s Statements on Araucarias

José García Ruminot, the Secretary General for the Presidency in José Antonio Kast’s government and a former senator for Renovación Nacional in Araucanía, made controversial remarks regarding the Araucarias during a discussion about the repeal of environmental decrees. He stated to the media: “When three araucarias hinder the construction of such a significant project, it seems frankly excessive (…) what we are interested in is that all those investments materialize (…) This means having greater flexibility, otherwise, we are ultimately harming the community instead of helping it.”

In response, the Pewen Defense Coordinator (CODE Pewen) released a public statement, also shared by Radio Rikalma, expressing their strong rejection of Minister García Ruminot’s statements, who claimed that “three araucarias cannot stop an international road.” In the statement, the organizations described the assertion as inaccurate and stated it represents “a caricature that distorts the issue and minimizes the damage caused to the pewenche communities.”

This statement, directed at the public, emphasizes the various leaders and authorities from different territories in Lonquimay, Araucanía, Bío Bío, Los Ríos, and the national and international community, clarifying that the matter involves more than three individual trees. According to the statement, “CONAF authorized the felling of 96 trees through resolutions N°594 and N°595 (July 2025), halted in August due to pressure from communities and public opinion, and also considering the alteration of the habitat of over a thousand individuals, leading to ecological fragmentation, soil disruption, and imbalance.”

Organizations stress from PewenMapu that, even under the minister’s presumption, the argument is unacceptable. They stated: “The Araucaria or Pewen is a protected and ancient species; for the pewenche people, it represents life, culture, and spirituality. How long does asphalt last?”

In the text, CODE Pewen emphasizes that it is not the araucarias that oppose road construction but rather “the authorities that have attempted to evade regulations, omitting indigenous consultation, concealing the project, closing participation spaces for the community, avoiding proper environmental analysis, generating divisions, and making agreements behind closed doors, even denying the existence of a road project when CONAF itself has stated it requires authorization.” They also highlight “years of neglect in managing the road, which has fractured communities under a false dilemma between development and the environment, when contemporary development requires their integration.”

Finally, organizations reiterate that they have proposed “responsible alternatives: a scenic route with low impact, low-speed paving, and management suitable for territories where the economy depends on tourism, conservation, and traditional practices of animal husbandry and transit.” They warn that “these proposals have been ignored.”

The statement from the Pewen Defense Coordinator (CODE Pewen), in support of pewenche communities affected by the road project in the area, follows, with sources from CODE Pewen and Radio Rikalma on social media.