“We are not closed to any possibility, but we have to talk”

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After arriving early in the Antofagasta region, the Minister of the Interior, Rodrigo Delgado began his activities in the area. Accompanied by the undersecretary of the portfolio, Juan Francisco Galli, and the general director(s) of Carabineros, Esteban Díaz, he met with the presidential delegate in the area, Daniel Agusto.

It is expected that during the day, The minister also meets with the regional governor Ricardo Díaz (following 1:00 p.m.), and with the leaders of the truckers’ unionwho maintain the blockade at various points on Route 5 North, such as the southern entrance of the city, the Los Libertadores roundregarding and Route A-12 that connects with the airport, allowing only the transit of smaller vehicles.

“We came to talk, to listen and to be listened to, and to tell all the unions that we understand the situation, and that we are on the same side the minister pointed out. Yesterday we advanced several issues, but today we come to specify others, which hopefully we can have conversations in the morning, not only with them but also with regional authorities”.

Likewise, Delgado was consulted by the possibility of decreeing a state of constitutional exception in the northern macrozoneas has been done in the Araucanía area. “We are not closed to any possibility, but we have to talk.”

In addition to the roadblocks in Antofagasta, there have also been demonstrations and roadblocks at the southern entrance to the city of Arica, as well as on a road on Route 68.

Mother of Bayron Castillo: “For me $212 thousand is nothing”

Arriving in Antofagasta, Delgado had his first meeting with Milenka Herrera, mother of the truck driver Bayron Castillo, killed on Route 1, who pointed out following the meeting that “they speak in their language, I did not understand much because I am ignorant of the subject, but they did tell me that they were going to give me all the help.”

“They were going to give me financial aid for my grandson, of 212 thousand pesos and the undersecretary -of the interior- told me that he was going to deal with the issue of the concessionaire, I told him that I wanted compensation, not for myself, but for my grandson”, he pointed out in conversation with CNN Chile.

Herrera said regarding the responsibility that the concessionaires have in the case, “in the place where they threw my son there are no bars, it was a piece that was loose. There should be more protection, there are no cameras, there should be, there are many deficiencies and difficulties on the roads, I find that there is much deficiency and difficulty”.

Regarding compensation, he added that “if he -Minister Delgado- had a proposal, I demanded it from him, because now there is the commotion because everything is closed, there is the truckers’ strike (…), but once all this happens? what will happen to my son? they are going to forget, because all they want is for the trucks to be lifted and the crossings to be opened. I told him.”

While regarding the amount offered, Milenka explained that her son “had his family, his wife, his young daughter and my grandson were left with nothing and it is not fair. I want them to take care of that. For me $212 thousand is nothing. That was the offer, I looked at him and said ‘do you think they are going to live with 212 thousand?’ (…) nobody lives with that pension, it is not even the minimum wage, especially when the children are newborns”.

Out of respect I did not want to tell him that it was a joke (…) they do not know what is spent when people are poor, “said the mother of the deceased trucker.

Finally, he made a call to the transport union that is carrying out mobilizations and blocking access routes in different parts of the country “that they not lower their arms, that they support me in this, that If there is no solution, let the strike not be lifted.”.

The Minister of the Interior assured Herrera that his son’s body would be handed over at around 2:00 p.m. today.