CHILE (From news reports) - Armed and hooded individuals have set fire to the Oldenburg Camp, on Arauco's forestry land in the commune of La Unión, in the Araucanía region of southern Chile.

The assailants, between eight and ten, arrived at the site, intimidated workers who were having dinner at the time and burned company infrastructure and vehicles, according to Chilean radio station Radio Bío Bío.

Some of the workers were even in the shower when they were forced to leave the site and then took refuge in the forest. They then set fire to installations, infrastructure and machinery, including a truck and a van.

"They came armed, the personnel were all showering. They entered the camp, threatened the workers with weapons, told them to get out and proceeded to burn," explained an affected businessman, Jorge Jiménez.

The Public Prosecutor's Office has entrusted the case to the Investigative Police and the presence of the Special Police Operations Group (GOPE) of the Carabineros has been requested.

The balance of material damage is eight vehicles burned - five cars, two tanker trucks, a motor grader - and two work trucks stolen.

In La Araucanía, the Chilean region with the highest concentration of Mapuche Indians, the Indians are demanding the return of their ancestral lands and denounce harassment by the Chilean government.

The authorities - during the mandate of former Chilean President Sebastián Piñera - have repeatedly denied these accusations and, on the contrary, have pointed to the natives as being responsible for numerous violent incidents in the area, such as attacks on farms and their owners.