When is a terrorist not a terrorist?
The drafting of a bill by two opposition lawmakers to prevent the Chilean government from negotiating with "terrorists" – in light of the ongoing conflict between certain segments of the Mapuche indigenous peoples and mainly forestry companies and large landowners in the south of the country – raises an important issue.
Apart from the perennial problem of defining what exactly constitutes terrorism, the proposed legislation could set a dangerous precedent. If governments are banned from talking to terrorist organizations or their representatives, there would be no peace deal in Colombia with the Farc right now. Nor would there have been the Good Friday peace agreement in Northern Ireland. South Africa could well still be under an apartheid regime, and you would have to kiss goodbye to any prospect of peace in the Middle East. And that's just to name a few of a multitude of cases where talking to so-called terrorists has brought change for the better.
Whether the Mapuche groups behind a series of attacks on lumber companies and others in southern Araucanía region (IX) – that they regard as illegal occupants of ancestral lands – are terrorist organizations is a thorny issue. Defining terrorism is something that authorities have been grappling with for years as they attempt to draft anti-terrorism legislation; one difficulty is that one person's terrorist is more often than not another person's legitimate combatant or even freedom fighter.
While not offering a watertight definition, perhaps two criteria are key in determining whether an act of violence should be considered a terrorist attack. Firstly, the action must be aimed not just at the direct victims but also at intimidating the population at large, or segments of the population such as specific social, ethnic or religious groups. Secondly, the threat to others must be ongoing or systematic; in other words, similar violent acts could be perpetrated by the same group in the future. That would normally mean those responsible would have to be – even if only in a loose knit fashion – part of some organization, normally with an ideological, political or religious motive. Under this definition, the recent mass shooting in Las Vegas would not be considered terrorism but rather a one-off (in the sense that future such incidents, of which there surely will be, are unlikely to be related).
In the case of the radical Mapuche groups, the attacks tend not to be a threat to the general public or specific segments of society, but largely target the property and operations of big companies. There are, however, clearly organizations behind the acts of violence, and the threat of future attacks remains strong.
Whether or not such incidents are considered terroristic does not affect, of course, whether they should be pursued and the perpetrators prosecuted. Even if they are not terrorist acts, they are criminal acts and need to be dealt with.
So should the Chilean government be allowed to negotiate with the groups in question? Whether or not they are branded terrorists, as a rule in these cases one should look at who the perpetrators represent. Are they just a few violent individuals or are they representative of a significant proportion of the local population? If the latter is the case, dialogue should be an option. That principle was what led governments to talk to groups they had considered terrorist, from Bogotá to Belfast.
Subscribe to the leading business intelligence platform in Latin America with different tools for Providers, Contractors, Operators, Government, Legal, Financial and Insurance industries.
News in: Water & Waste (Chile)
3 bidders after Santiago-Valparaíso rail studies contract
Plus, Uruguay water rates are too low to finance investments and an Argentine province pays a US$34mn public works debt.
Chile environmental approvals rose in January
Review agency SEA approved 29 projects worth US$1.62bn.
Subscribe to Latin America’s most trusted business intelligence platform.
Other projects in: Water & Waste (Chile)
Get critical information about thousands of Water & Waste projects in Latin America: what stages they're in, capex, related companies, contacts and more.
- Project: NuevaUnión (Ex-Corredor)
- Current stage:
- Updated:
3 months ago
- Project: Talabre Thickened Tailings Project (PRET)
- Current stage:
- Updated:
3 months ago
- Project: Centinela Mining District Desalination Plant (Stages I and II)
- Current stage:
- Updated:
3 months ago
- Project: La Chupalla Reservoir
- Current stage:
- Updated:
4 months ago
- Project: Mantoverde development project (MVDP)
- Current stage:
- Updated:
4 months ago
- Project: Collection and Alternative Conduction in the Maipo River to Increase the Security of Drinking Water Supply for the Population
- Current stage:
- Updated:
4 months ago
- Project: Los Lagos Hydroelectric Power Plant
- Current stage:
- Updated:
4 months ago
- Project: Rapel dam
- Current stage:
- Updated:
4 months ago
- Project: Canelillo Dam
- Current stage:
- Updated:
4 months ago
- Project: Codegua Reservoir
- Current stage:
- Updated:
4 months ago
Other companies in: Water & Waste (Chile)
Get critical information about thousands of Water & Waste companies in Latin America: their projects, contacts, shareholders, related news and more.
- Company: Aguas Pacífico SpA  (Aguas Pacífico)
-
Aguas Pacífico SpA, founded in 2016 by the Brazilian investment company Pátria Investimentos in Santiago de Chile, designs, finances, builds and operates seawater desalination p...
- Company: Desala Petorca SPA  (Desala)
-
The description contained in this profile was taken directly from an official source and has not been edited or modified by BNamericas researchers, but may have been automatical...
- Company: Cobra Montajes, Servicios y Agua Ltda.  (Cobra MSA)
-
The description included in this profile was taken directly from an official source and has not been modified or edited by the BNamericas’ researchers. However, it may have been...
- Company: SASIPA SpA  (SASIPA)
-
The description contained in this profile was taken directly from an official source and has not been edited or modified by BNamericas researchers, but may have been automatical...
- Company: BNamericas
-
Business News Americas (BNamericas) is an online source of daily business information and intelligence on Latin America. Its services include the publication of analytical repor...
- Company: Ilustre Municipalidad de Freirina
- Company: Ilustre Municipalidad de Tortel
- Company: Ilustre Municipalidad de Ancud
- Company: Aguas Andinas, S.A.  (Aguas Andinas)
-
Aguas Andinas S.A. is a Chilean sanitary company directly controlled by Inversiones Aguas Metropolitanas S.A. (50.1%), which is ultimately owned by France's Suez Groupe S.AS. It...