Gunmen launched a violent attack on a Chinese-owned hydroelectric power plant under construction in southern Chile on Sunday, setting fire to dozens of vehicles and construction equipment.
The targeted facility, the Rucalhue power plant, is being built by Rucalhue Energia Spa, a subsidiary of China International Water and Electric Corporation (CWE), with a projected investment of $350 million. It is located along the Biobio River, about 550 kilometers (340 miles) south of Santiago.
According to police chief Renzo Miccono, the armed attackers threatened security personnel before setting fire to the site. “They proceeded to burn all the equipment there was at the site,” he said.
The assault led to the destruction of 45 trucks and five pieces of earth-moving machinery. Two security guards were injured during the incident.
The comes amid the ongoing opposition from Indigenous communities that the project is facing. Critics have raised concerns about its environmental impact on one of Chile’s major waterways.
Chile’s Security Minister Luis Cordero described the attack as having “a terrorist nature” due to its location and planning.
Rucalhue Energia Spa said it is currently evaluating the financial losses from the destruction.
