Harboe: "There is no threat" against Douglas Tompkins

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SANTIAGO.- Following a call on the part of the government for Douglas Tompkins to normalize his immigration status, sub secretary of the Interior, Felipe Harboe, has denied the critiques of PPD Senator Guido Giriardi, who accused the government of going after the United States businessman. 

“I don’t wish to enter into a controversial issue with Senator Girardi, but I believe they have gotten things confused”, Harboe told Radio Cooperativa.

Harboe has stated that he is very surprised by that the fact that “there is a group that sees this as an issue against environmental activists.   In the first place, I have always referred to Mr. Tompkins as a foreign tourist, not as an environmental activist, and I haven’t spoken out against any NGO related to environmental causes”.

The sub secretary of the Interior said that the matter is strictly migratory and that it is not about “victimizing anyone” or “ideologically labeling him as an environmentalist”.