After the incident at the Amancay estate in Trevelin, the "Autonomous Faction of Mapuche Liberation Puelwillimapu" claimed responsibility for the attack. According to the provincial investigation, the material author was identified as Victoria Dolores Núñez Fernández, 34 years old, who has ties to the ancestral resistance of Mapuche (RAM) and similar groups in Chile.
In the framework of the investigations, twelve raids were conducted in Corcovado, El Maitén, and Esquel, where Núñez Fernández was arrested, and firearms, homemade explosives, and flammable materials were seized. Additionally, Moira Millán, a representative of RAM, was identified among the occupants of one of the raided locations, the government of Chubut added.
In response to the arson incidents, thousands of neighbors marched in various localities of Río Negro, Chubut, and Neuquén to condemn not only the management of fire at the national and provincial level but also the related state policies. Protests took place simultaneously in several points of Patagonia, such as Viedma, the city of Neuquén, San Martín de los Andes, Bariloche, General Roca, Puerto Madryn, Trelew, Esquel, Rawson, and Comodoro Rivadavia, among others.
The protesters especially criticized the Minister of Security, Patricia Bullrich, for prioritizing the persecution of suspects instead of protecting the affected territories. They also demanded the implementation of effective policies for environmental preservation and disaster prevention.
So far, the fires have consumed around 25 thousand hectares in the three affected provinces and destroyed hundreds of homes. Fortunately, in El Bolsón, the flames are partially controlled, and it rained recently, which helped extinguish the fire. In Puerto Madryn, the hotspots have been contained, but the risk persists in Nahuel Huapi National Park, specifically in the areas of Los Manzanos and El Manso.
Finally, the governor of Chubut, Ignacio Torres, reported that the local police, together with the Federal Police, arrested the alleged perpetrators of the molotov cocktail attack on the Amancay estate, linked to the Ancestral Mapuche Resistance (RAM), perpetrated on January 18 and caused damage to ten vehicles.
