Diplomats from the United States and Mexico have complained to Chile over the seizure and later incineration of Bolivian timber shipments in Arica, according to Emol. The complaint came to light during President José Antonio Kast's visit to Bolivia. It argues that those shipments had already passed inspections with no irregularities.
The case began in June. At the time, the Fiscalía de Arica (the regional public prosecutor's office) announced it had detected and seized a timber shipment from Bolivia that, according to the agency, contained more than one thousand kilos of drugs soaked into and hidden in the wood.
The prosecutor's office called the seizure "the largest seizure in Chile's history" and said it prevented the production and dosing of millions of doses that could have been sold in the country.
The International Wood Products Association, a trade association for wood products, said the Bolivian timber went through checks in Brazil, Peru, France, Canada and the United States with no findings. The group also alleges that some shipments held in Chile may have involved "false positives".
The association asked for part of the cargo to be preserved so that independent tests can be carried out. It is also demanding that no more shipments be burned while those tests are under way, to avoid economic harm.
The companies shipping the timber, some of which employ former agents of the DEA (the US drug enforcement agency), question the testing methods used by Chilean authorities. That is the basis for the request to preserve the material.
Arica prosecutor Mario Carrera defended the investigation in September. "The ISP is clear that there are drugs", he said, referring to the Instituto de Salud Pública (Chile's public health institute). He added that the quantities could be revised, because some shipments show higher percentages and others only traces.
Bolivian trade groups have joined the complaint. Some organizations estimate the economic damage at 15 million dollars. The Emol report does not include a response from the government or from the Cancillería (Chile's foreign ministry).
The case files are now with Chilean authorities, who in the coming weeks would arrange a meeting with Bolivian trade groups and timber company managers. They are asking that no more shipments be burned until new tests are done.
