Chilean Authorities Confirm Drugs in Bolivian Timber Seized at Ports

The regional presidential delegate of Arica and Parinacota, Cristián Sayes, confirmed that analyses carried out by Chilean authorities confirmed the presence of drugs in the shipment of Bolivian timber seized in Chilean ports, which is why 1,080 tons of the forest product remain retained as part of the investigation.

It is worth remembering that the Ministry of Government of Bolivia reported that, together with the Foreign Ministry, it would request explanations from the Chilean Prosecutor's Office, arguing that laboratory analyses showed negative results for the presence of drugs and that damage was caused to the country's image and the export sector.

In statements to Red Uno, Sayes assured that the scientific evidence obtained during the process is conclusive and ruled out that the case was due to an error or a "false positive."

"We have 1,080 tons of timber, which are seized in Arica. There is no turning back, given that there is scientific proof that it contains drugs," affirmed the Chilean authority.

The presidential delegate of Chile's northernmost region explained that field tests were first carried out, followed by laboratory analyses at the central level, whose results confirmed the presence of illicit substances, with the results being announced on June 8.

According to the Chilean authority, the investigation determined that 44 containers contained timber contaminated with drugs and indicated that the process was developed in coordination between the Public Ministry and the Prosecutor's Office of the Arica and Parinacota Region.

"This has been done very responsibly by the Public Ministry jointly with the Prosecutor's Office of the Arica Parinacota region, in which a follow-up has been carried out using different variables, and it has already been announced that we have 44 containers with positive loads or contaminated timber," Sayes reported.

Likewise, the delegate indicated that Chilean authorities received representatives and lawyers from the Bolivian export sector, who took new samples of the shipment. However, he maintained that, to date, there is no scientific backing that refutes the results obtained by the investigation carried out in Chile.

For its part, the Regional Prosecutor's Office of Arica and Parinacota (the department in charge of the expert reports) stated in a communiqué that "regarding the case of timber impregnated with drugs, this investigation remains active and with ongoing proceedings. In this context, there will be no statement from the Prosecutor's Office for now."

It is worth remembering that the questioned seizure was announced by the National Customs Service of Chile on June 8, where the seizure of more than 108 tons of cocaine and other substances in the Chilean ports of Arica, Valparaíso, and San Antonio was communicated.