El Ciudadano
Original article: Talca: Funcionarios de residencias de Protección a la Niñez denuncian estar bajo amenaza constante de balazos por parte de bandas delictuales organizadas
The National Association of Officials from the Specialized Child and Adolescent Protection Service (Anfusepna) has issued a public alert regarding the vulnerability and life-threatening risks faced by both the adolescents under state protection and the dedicated staff working in the residences located in Talca, Maule Region.
The union representing officials from the Ministry of Social Development has reported a sustained rise in violent crime directly linked to drug trafficking networks operating near these facilities.
According to union representatives, this crisis poses a direct threat to the physical and psychological integrity of those maintaining the protection system on a daily basis.
Union spokesperson Nelson Barraza detailed some extreme acts of violence that highlight the level of insecurity faced by these facilities in the area.
«The most recent incident occurred on April 15, when a group of adolescent residents was subjected to brutal assaults that included beatings, threats with knives and firearms, along with explicit death threats,» Barraza recounted.
Adding to this alarming situation, the union representative noted, «members of these criminal organizations have already identified geographical points of protection, even taking photographs in the surrounding areas, which directly exposes the safety of staff and the youth.»
In this context, workers recalled a serious attack that took place on January 4 of this year, when a criminal gang opened fire on a Talca residence in an attempt to kill an adolescent due to conflicts related to a supposed drug debt.
«In light of this scenario of institutional abandonment, Anfusepna expresses its utmost concern regarding the lack of effective structural measures from service authorities, emphasizing that this security crisis is not an isolated incident, but rather a reality that officials have repeatedly and formally warned about over the past few years,» stated the workers.
The union emphasized that «it is not possible to continue postponing solutions when the lives of staff and the minors under their care are under constant threat from organized criminal gangs.»
«For these reasons, and in legitimate defense of the labor rights and safety of its members, Anfusepna categorically demands the immediate implementation of enhanced security measures at the facilities, the urgent relocation of all adolescents in life-threatening situations, and the immediate arrival of senior national authorities of the service to the Maule Region,» they asserted.
The union organization concluded by reiterating that «it is essential to have concrete and effective guarantees for the protection of staff,» ensuring that they will not back down from their demands until the state assumes its responsibility to safeguard the lives of those working to protect vulnerable children.
We will continue to provide updates.
La entrada Talca Child Protection Workers Under Constant Threat from Organized Crime, Union Reports se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.
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