Cañete: the courts acquit 17 Mapuche and condemn 4 for “assaulting the State’s Attorney”

Posted on February 24, 2011 by chileboliviawalmapu

February 22, 2011
from paismapuche.org
The Tribunal of Cañete decided in favor of the 17 Mapuche accused of various felonies classified as terrorism and related to the theft of wood. Nonetheless, 4 of them were found guilty for the attack against State’s Attorney Mario Elgueta in October, 2008.
Excitement was in the air minutes after the decision of the Cañete Tribunal became known, with the acquittal of 14 Mapuche accused of illegal association and terrorist arson, and another three accused of being part of an organization for the theft of wood in the area of Tirúa.
The president of the Tribunal, Jorge Díaz, indicated that even if it were certain that the acts alleged by the Public Ministry did in fact occur and could be characterized as terrorism, they did not succeed through their evidence and testimonies to establish that the accused participated in the crimes, and therefore they were all absolved. As such, the secret witness used by prosecutor Andrés Cruz was discredited.
Of the 17 accused, only Héctor Llaitul, Ramón Llanquileo, Jonathan Huillical and José Huenuche were found guilty of the felonies “Robbery with Intimidation,” “Assault on Authority,” and “Attempted Homicide” against state’s attorney Mario Elgueta and three functionaries of the PDI (Investigative Police), however the tribunal classified these felonies as common rather than terrorist crimes.
What constituted the gravest setback for the prosecutor was the absolution of all 17 comuneros [Mapuche who live in the communities] for the felonies of theft of wood and arson targeting cabins [of tourists or the forestry company], principally in the area of lake Lleu Lleu, in the years 2005-2008.
Immediately, all the absolved comuneros, except those who have cases pending in other tribunals, walked out the door, after spending around 2 years in pretrial detention, and were reunited with their excited family members.
http://paismapuche.org/?p=3101
[during the prior two weeks, there have been multiple actions in the Mapuche territories, with an oil well being blockaded, a police eviction of reclaimed lands being repelled, an evicted territory reoccupied, and numerous new land reclamations, in both the Chilean and Argentinean parts of the occupied Mapuche territories—Wallmapu and Puelmapu]

Bologna, Italy - Sabotage in solidarity with Billy, Costa and Silvia

Bologna, Italy - Sabotage in solidarity with Billy, Costa and Silvia

informa-azione

da finoallafine.info Information received anonymously via email:" During the night of October 6 a relay mast was set fire to under the bridge of via Libia, in Bologna. The enormous pylon was so damaged that it had to be felled and a month still hasn't been re-erected. For Billy, Costa and Silvia, attacking structures and those responsible for control and exploitation."Fri, 12/11/2010 –

Buenos Aires - Bomb at the Provincial headquarters of Rio Negro in revenge for the death by police of 16 year old Mapuche, Guillermo Trafiñanco

culmine

Buenos Aires - the night of Monday, November 8 we placed a bomb at the door of the headquarters of the province of Rio Negro, in the filthy city of Buenos Aires.
The bomb consisted of two bottles filled with inflammable material and at the bottom, two low-potential explosives. After leaving it there, we decided to make two warning calls to avoid causing harm to the unwary passers-by, and why not, so that the police felt the fury of the oppressed in their faces (which did not happen, because the cowards had taken all the necessary precautions to carry out their miserable job).
We remind the politicians, judges, police officers and those who support them that their daily terror will not remain unpaid.
With special love and complicity with our brothers and sisters anarchists locked up / in Chile and for all / and all the prisoners in war.
For the armed insurrection, for the destruction of the world of authority.
Circulo del Caos

Some anarchist in london last night 18 octomber wen to the gathering demo against The Chilean terrorist president Sebastian Pinera will give a conference near there, in the LES cental london u.k.

flyer wil give out :

       

SOME FACTS ABOUT PINERA

PORTRAIT OF A TOO TYPICAL SOUTH AMERICAN POPULIST DESPOT

• Pinera is a Populist right-wing leader, educated in Harvard. A billionaire belonging to the class of people whose fortune lies in the immiseration and poverty of the vast majority of Chilean population. His policy is nothing but more of the same shit of which all South America (and the whole world) have already had enough. Neo-liberal measures to increase “productivity” which in translation for us means more time of our lives wasted in wage labour slavery in an increasingly precarious situation while people like him gets more and more profit.
• Pinera is highly skilful in mass manipulation. He knows how to address the masses (with the inestimable aid of the well domesticated mass media) and to cash in on every single opportunity to present himself as the opposite of what it is. His genocidal and fascistic leanings are being purposely hidden behind a media-fabricated aura of “strong leadership”, “charisma” and a badly faked preoccupation for the state of his “workers” and those in need. (Hitler used to do the same, democracy ow so much to “Historical” Fascism..)
• Pinera is not hesitating in unleashing the most fascistic and Orwellian methods to criminalise and ruthlessly pounce on those who do not believe his bullshit and oppose his regime and the whole capitalist system and the state. The latest example has been the arrest and imprisonment on remand of 8 anarchist militants of Santiago, all done without any conclusive proof.
• Pinera has continued and even worsened the particular ongoing war between the Chilean state and the Mapuche people, imprisoning and repressing these ancestral native population and applying on them the anti-terrorist law (passed during the Pinochet Dictatorship) which among other things allows for the “justicia ciega” (blind justice) with the presence of witnesses wearing balaclavas in the trials. After a huger strike of 90 days by Mapuche political prisoners this law has been withdrawn but still the future for the Mapuche is grim, with their lands surrounded and constantly under attack by the profit seeking interests of Western corporations which is to say THE MAIN CLIENTS OF PINERA.
• Pinera is the perfect puppet president for the western interests in the region. The aim of his European tour being to lick the boots of those countries with direct economical interests and investments in Chile via multinational corporations exploiting mining and other natural resources in Chilean soil. UK has the dubious privilege of having deployed this policy with Chile from long ago, including the times of Pinochet's dictatorship to which this country stood out as one of its main suppliers of weapons.
• In Chile there has been a continuous climate of social unrest and conflict from the dictatorship to these days. People in there have never expected anything to change with the arrival of REAL EXISTING DEMOCRACY and to a great extent their suspicions have been confirmed but the hard real-life facts. This explains the proneness of an increasing sector of the population to fight against the new demo-fascist tyrants and follow a revolutionary path that we respect.
• While pinera was having fun in his particular reality show another strike broke out in minas “El Toqui” with 280 miners following the action. No media coverage said a word. The same goes for the arrested anarchists and the Mapuche militant 90 days hunger strike in the prisons of Temuco, Angol, Valdivia and Concepcion.
• Pinera's brother is a die-hard far-right militant who has defended Pinochet in countless occasions and used to be a minister of labour during the Dictatorship.
• Pinera has spent in between 10 and 20 millions of dollars in his particularly egotistic and self-promoting soap opera with the miners. The latter have been badly utilised in order to send an utterly false message of national unity and national proud which is supposed to make not distinctions between rich and poor, indigenous and westernised population. All of it is happening this year, 200 anniversary of the creation of the Chilean state.

PINERA IS AN INDESIRABLE PARASITE

INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY NOW WITH CHILEAN AND MAPUCHE BROTHERS ANS SISTERS

DOWN WITH CAPITALISM!

DOWN WITH THE STATE!

Random Anarchists

Communique from the last Mapuche hungerstrikers

 on Mon, 2010-10-11

On October 2, most of the Mapuche political prisoners on hungerstrike in the prisons of the Chilean state announced an end to their action while the hungerstrikers at Angol prison declared they would continue. On October 7, they released another communique explaining their struggle. The following day, after nearly 90 days without eating, they ended their hungerstrike, although without signing onto any agreement with the Chilean state. Translated from Hommodolars We consider this communique to be of great importance because it clearly explains how the modifications to the antiterrorist law are simply cosmetic and do not at all guarantee the completion of the demands brought forward by this mobilization. Furthermore, and most importantly, the hungerstrikers of Angol prison want to make it plain that this action did not occur as a partial claim within the juridical realm, but as a projection of the Mapuche struggle. This is where we see that an action such as this is not a simple pressure brought to bear against the party in power, rather it reveals the substance of what is and must be the struggle by the Mapuche against the State/Capital. A struggle that, through this kind of mobilization, continuously strengthens itself and avoids a fossilization that would prevent it from taking on a larger framework, such as a struggle for self-determination. It's a way of realizing what the Mapuche brothers and sisters are capable of doing: taking control of their lives, modifying the reality produced for us and controlled by the State/Capital, which presents itself as independent from us and turns us into simple spectators. In other words, this is reality and we won't simply contemplate it or run around according to the schedule with which it dominates us. We are capable of changing this reality so that its independent movement begins to weaken. Not at the level of appearances or mere knowledge, but in a praxis that acts on objective situations and transforms them, by acting on the separations that falsely isolate us from others and from our own activity on a daily basis.

We are not saying that with hungerstrikes we can achieve self-determination, but that with all kinds of actions we begin to compose a unitary practical critique of the State/Capital. One doesn't proclaim this, one puts it in practice and changes the conditions that limit our daily ability to take action. In other words we "open" the context within which we take action today so that tomorrow our possibilities will have expanded to create the conditions not to express our total critique but to execute it. This must not be understood as a "tactic" within an idea of the accumulation of forces or gradualism [trans: common Marxist approaches to revolution], it should only be understood for what it is: our activity produces reality and this reality has broken from our control. Reappropriating a way of acting that is our own, subversive, and negative of what exists is how we produce the conditions to realize that the insurrection that uncages the revolution is a question of our own necessity; by modifying the objective situation we are modifying our own position within it. This is true in all struggle.
The 14 peñis [brothers] who continue the hungerstrike:
Angol Prison
1.- Victor Llanquileo Pilquiman
2.- Fernando Millacheo Marin
3.- José Queipul Huaiquil
Victoria Hospital
4.- Victor Hugo Queipul
5.- Felipe Huenchullan Cayul
6.- Camilo Tori Quiñinao
7.- Eduardo Osses Moreno
8.- Alex Curipan Levipan
9.- Carlos Huaiquillan Palacio
10.- *Waikilaf Cadin Calfunao
Temuco Prison
11.- Hugo Melinao
12.- Cristián Levinao
13.- Sergio Lican Levio
Chol Chol Prison [minors]
14.- Luis Marileo Cariqueo

Trento, Italy, raid on Benetton in solidarity with the Mapuche people

culmine

Source: Stampa trentina, 13:10:10 Yesterday morning, when they arrived to start work shortly before nine the shop attendants of Benetton in via Oriola found two surprises: the first, written and drawn with black paint "Mapuche free" on the window and the other, the lock 'blocked with "Attak", the quick-setting glue. Unable to open the shop, the store manager of the great Venetian textile group called for the intervention of the Fire Brigade who had to work hard to unlock the gate.
Also black writing on the window of Sisley who is almost opposite. A few yards away, in Via Del Simonino the same scene. Four girls set to work with a lot of turpentine and large pieces of "Scottex "to clean, not without difficulty, the large showcase of the other Benetton store 0-12, that of children's clothes. Here, too, writings in praise of freedom for these people far away, the Mapuche.
The reason for the damage? Apparently to draw attention to the indigenous people who live in Patagonia and have lost part of land aquired by a company of the Benetton to raise sheep for wool. A story that has become the symbol of the struggle of indigenous people against corporations or other large industrial groups in the West.

Mapuche Hunger Strikers in Angol End Strike

Posted on 08/10/2010 by Ryan Seelau

An agreement was reached today between the 10 Mapuche political prisoners in Angol (several of whom are actually at Victoria Hospital) and the Chilean government, resulting in the end of a hunger strike for these individuals which began more than 80 days ago.
The agreement was reached after hours of intense negotiations between the Secretary General of the President, Cristián Larroulet, the prisoners, and their spokespersons.  According to Larroulet, the details of the agreement will be released on Monday, October 11th.
Jorge Huenchullán, a spokesperson for the Mapuche, said that negotiations will continue between the Chilean government and the Mapuche representatives over several issues, including land, but that the government was willing to take steps that allowed for the strike to cease. Huenchullán also stated that the human lives at stake were also a factor in the agreement, as presumably neither side wanted to see a loss of life.
There is no word yet whether the remaining four prisoners — one from Chol Chol, and three from Temuco — have also given up their strike.
All of this comes exactly one week after the majority of the Mapuche hunger strikers reached an agreement with the Chilean government and discontinued their strike. Since that time, the Chilean government has further altered the Military Justice Code, and reassigned certain cases so that they are no longer being tried under the Antiterrorism Law, both of which were parts of that first agreement (which can be found in English, here).

Felipe Henchullan has suffered a pre-infarction and has contracted pneumonia:

Oct 05, 2010

According to the data provided by the doctor of Victoria hospital, Felipe Huenchillan aka "El Penhi" has had a pre-infarction and is affected by a serious pneumonia and very high fever. Family and relative of "El Penhi" and his community are currently feeling very upset and worried about what it could happen from now on.

"El Penhi" Felipe Huenchillan, along with the rest of our brothers remains in a very poor health. The 3 brothers inside Angol prison are the  ones in worst condition.

More news coming.

Autonomos commnity Temuicui.

Felipe Huenchullán sufrió preinfarto y se encfereduentra con neumonía

Oct 05, 2010
Según los datos entregado por los medico del hospital de victoria, el peñi Felipe Huenchullan anoche sufrio un preinfarto y se encuentra con una grave neumonia, con mucha fiebre, los familiares del peñi y su comunidad se encuentran muy preucupada por lo que puede suceder.
El peñi Felipe Huenchullan, al igual que el resto de nuestros hermanos estan en muy mala condiciones de salud, peor aun los tres hemanos que se encuentran al interior de la carcel de Angol.
Noticia en desarrollo
Comunidad autonoma temucuicui

Chile - the Mapuche of Angol do not accept the terms of the government and continue hunger strike

Felipe Huenchullan Cayul

translated from informa-azione

Radio Bio-Bio, 02:10:10 - The spokesman of the 9 Mapuche on hunger strike in Angol prison met with the Minister Larroulet Cristián to deliver their response to the government's agreement, not accepting it and announcing that the hunger strike remains in force. The Minister Larroulet said that the priority is people's lives and that they will insist that they stop with the hunger strike. However, there was no agreement reached with the 9 Mapuche who continue a hunger strike in Angol prison. The Mapuche spokesman said they were in a phase of reflection, so there are dates being set for new negotiations.
Update:
14 Mapuche political prisoners on hunger strike
from culmine, 5 October 2010
An update on the hunger strike by political prisoners Mapuche (PPM).
Following the agreement of October 1, Concepción, accepted by 24 MPP detained in the prisons of Concepción, Temuco and Lebu, some MPP decided to continue the struggle initiated on July 12, considering the conditions of the agreement to be insufficient. 14 MPPs have decided to continue with the hunger strike, to the end.
- 3 are still in the jail of Angol
- 7 from Angola prison are hospitalised in Victoria
- Three are being held in prison in Temuco, note that the three began the strike in September
- 1 in the juvenile prison of Chol Chol
They have already visited by the bishop of Temuco, although so far they do not have a MPP official mediator. To date there is no ongoing mediation and the health of the MPP is starting to give rise to concern.
Here is a list of the Mapuche Political Prisoners on hunger strike:
ANGOL prison:
1.- Víctor Llanquileo Pilquiman
2.- Fernando Millacheo Marin
3.- José Queipul Huaiquil
VICTORIA hospital:
4.- Víctor Hugo Queipul
5.- Felipe Huenchullan Cayul
6.- Camilo Tori Quiñinao
7.- Eduardo Osses Moreno
8.- Alex Curipan Levipan
9.- Carlos Huaiquillan Palacio
10.- *Waikilaf Cadin Calfunao
TEMUCO prison:
11.- Hugo Melinao
12.- Cristián Levinao
13.- Sergio Lican Levio
CHOL CHOL prison:
14.- Luis Marileo Carique

Posted by sysiphusangrynewsfromaroundtheworld.blogspot.com/2010/10/chile-mapuche-of-angol-do-not-accept.html

Communiqué: Action for the prisoners in Chile

4 10 2010 From Culmine (October 4, 2010) via Libertad a lxs 14A (October 3, 2010):

THIS WAS REVENGE

Claim for Attack on Chilean Military Police

During the week, we heard the news of the arbitrary transfer to Santiago 1 of the comrades imprisoned in the Bombs Case, as well as their hunger strike and subsequent one-month sentence. Added to that was the beating given to our brother Abuelo (Camilo). Therefore, we decided to arm ourselves with household items in order to take revenge.
“In this joint, the cops are in charge,” declared the aggressor gendarme. Today we answer him: “In the joint and on the streets, anyone can be in charge. It’s just a question of will and conviction.”
Sir Gendarmes, wretched jailers: HANDS OFF THE ANARCHIST POLITICAL PRISONERS. Know full well that we will not stand for even one more outrage against the abducted comrades, their visitors, or their communications.
And you, sir prosecutor Alejandro Peña, should stop bullshitting. You must know that anarchists DON’T HAVE LEADERS. Therefore, ILLICIT ASSOCIATION IS IMPOSSIBLE.

Chilean Gendarmes, CONSIDER YOURSELVES WARNED.

NO MORE ANTI-TERRORIST LAW

FREE THE ACCUSED IN THE BOMBS CASE

(We take this opportunity to send greetings to those showing internationalist solidarity in England, Spain, Mexico, Greece, Argentina, Canada, and elsewhere, as well as the Mapuche prisoners in Angol who are maintaining their struggle.)

Mapuche: most end hunger strike after 82 days as Chilean Government declares it will annul trials under anti-terrorist law

Saturday, 2 October 2010

Mapuche: most end hunger strike after 82 days as Chilean Government declares it will annul trials under anti-terrorist law

translated from culmine

The majority of the Mapuche have decided to end the hunger strike that went on for 82 days, after reaching an agreement with the government. The government will desist from all trials under the anti-terrorist law present in the courts of the country, according to the agreement, because they believe that the acts for which the Mapuche have been accused cannot continue to be classified as conduct punishable under that law. In addition, the government will continue to sponsor the project to reform military justice, which is already in parliament, so that civilians are not tried by such courts.
The announcement was made by the Archbishop of Concepción, Archbishop Ricardo Ezzati, accompanied by Natividad Llanquileo, a spokesman for the Mapuche in the prison of El Manzano and undersecretary of the presidency Claudio Alvarado.
The Mapuche who withdrew from the hunger strike are being held in prisons of Concepción, Temuco and Lebu. Of those who are in prison in Angol, only Waikilaf Cadin accepted the agreement, while the rest will decide tomorrow morning. To these are added Andrés Gutiérrez Cona, in the prison of Valdivia. sysiphus-angrynewsfromaroundtheworld.blogspot.com/2010/10/mapuche-most-end-hunger-strike-after-82.html

Solidarity attack in London for anarchists and Mapuche in Chile

Solidarity action for the 14 accused anarchists in Chile and the 35 Mapuche prisoners on hunger strike.

Sunday 26th September around 2:45am, Santander Bank, owned by Spanish bosses, attacked in Jubilee Way, Wimbledon, London.
Windows smashed, cash machines damaged with glue.
FREEDOM TO THE 14 ANARCHISTS IN CHILE! and SOLIDARITY TO THE 35 MAPUCHE ON HUNGER STRIKE! sprayed on walls.

night owls

Tuesday, 28 September 2010 Bristol, England - Natwest bank smashed on Gloucester Road, Bristol in solidarity with those in prison in Chile and Switzerland

''attack on a bank on gloucester road in solidarity with those in prison in chile and switzerland.

in the early hours of the 28th of september we attacked the natwest bank on gloucester road, bristol with paint and bricks.

windows were smashed, paintbombs thrown and 'destroy all prisons' was sprayed up on the wall.

this action was taken in solidarity with the 35 mapuche prisoners, the 3 incacerated in switzerland and the 14 imprisoned anarchists in chile - the majority of which are on hunger strike.

natwest is owned by the royal bank of scotland, which is complicit in state repression in chile, the pillaging of the earth, and the financing of the prison machine.

we send solidarity, love and rage to all those continuing the struggle in whatever way possible.

until all prisons are burnt to the ground''

Communique of the Mapuche political prisoners of the Land Conflict in the LLeu LLeu region

sysiphus-angrynewsfromaroundtheworld.blogspot.com/2010/09/communique-of-mapuche-political.html

translated from culmine

PUBLIC COMMUNIQUE
Monday, September 27, 2010
1 - We, political prisoners of the Mapuche Land Conflict in the area of Lleu Lleu, prisoners in Concepción and Lebu prisons, remind our people and international opinion as follows: 1 - We have been on hunger strike for 77 days and already four of us are in hospital, suffering from some liver and cardiac consequences, while one remains in prison of El Manzano, with a weight loss exceeding 20 kilos. Three other brothers in Lebu prison, are also weakened.
2 - Today, it has been possible to establish a direct form of dialogue with the government, through the important work done by Bishop Ricardo Ezzati. There have been some discussions on the requests of the representatives of the collectives of PPM (Mapuche political prisoners) of the various prisons in which have been exposed as indispensable: The non-application of the Anti-terrorism Law, the non-application of Military Justice (dual trials for the same offence) and non-use of masked witnesses as evidence.
3 - In this case we used the direct path of dialogue with the government to address our demands through concrete and fast political and administrative solutions, compared to the legislative route that we consider to be slower and more complex, although we have not completely excluded it.
4 - In this sense we have reached an important agreement, i.e. the waiving of the charges for violation of the Anti-terrorist Law by the government. However, we find ourselves trapped by the unwillingness of the Public Prosecutor to begin the new formalization of the charges.
5 – Although, we repeat, the political-administrative route is that most relevant to the urgency of the moment, so as to avoid fatal developments, we hope that legislative power, by the deputies of both the majority and the opposition, is capable of dealing with the question and of meeting international standards in matters of legislation, opening, through amendments to the anti-terrorist law - Ley Antiterrorista - a new option for the cessation of the hunger strike.
6 - Finally, we appeal to the People of the Mapuche Nation, to our brothers and sisters of other indigenous peoples who are resisting the capitalist States, and to the democratic and popular sectors to continue to remain vigilant and mobilised for our rights, justice and freedom.
NEWENTUAIÑ
AMULEIÑ COM PU CHE

Mapuche Hunger Strikers Abandoned in Wake of Bicentenary Fiesta

Press Release – 20th September 2010

As the international community anxiously observe the rapidly diminishing health status of 35 Mapuche political prisoners on hunger strike (day 71), global media and international human rights organisations report’s, repeatedly denounce the Chilean government’s apathetic and irresponsible stance. Meanwhile prior to the bicentenary weekend, 39 MEP’s conveyed urgent letters to the President of Chile, appealing for a swift resolution to the issue, in order to avoid a tragic loss of life.

Mapuche envoy’s last week presented a resolution to the European parliament, whilst the EP has since dispatched a fact finding delegation to the region in conflict.

During continuous global and national demonstrations in support of the strikers, 4 Chilean MP’s and over 14 community members also joined the hunger strike. A further Mapuche delegation including two Mapuche Werken (envoys) attended the United Nations Human Rights Council, 15th session with the intention to make interventions over the next week, set to urgently alert the humanitarian body to the imminent yet avoidable loss of Mapuche life.

Amidst the Chilean bicentenary celebration, following the Chilean administration’s announcement of a specially extended bicentenary holiday, President Piñera announced on Saturday, “I will not enter into dialogue with the Mapuche hunger strikers until such time as the party is concluded.” However during a catholic ceremony  the following day in honour of the Bicentenary, the President stated that “the strikers have chosen the wrong path”, as such he maintained ‘that he will not in fact speak to the striker’s but only to ‘non-militant’ Mapuche whom he claims are ‘truly representative of the Mapuche nation’. However contrary to the presidents propagandist and manipulative rhetoric the entire Mapuche nation are in full consensus with the historic demands of their brothers on hunger strike; therefore one can only speculate with whom the president believes he will be seated at a dialogue table, in the absence of authentic Mapuche authorities.

The Catholic Bishop of Temuco, Manuel Camilo Vial, reiterated the government party line in stating that “we have to stop the process of adoption of society of systematic use of violence by other actors outside our reality.” The Catholic Church in fact owns a significant tract of Mapuche ancestral land in the Temuco region which in the past few days was actively recuperated by a group of Mapuche families.

As Saturday’s fiesta moved into full swing the President’s degrading, inhumane and insensitive comments were cause for great lament for the families of the dying hunger strikers and the Mapuche nation, who have in the last week been repeatedly rallied to hospitals due to symptoms of heart failure; in this context the premiers sentiments can only serve to damage the already fragile trust building process that could lead potentially lead to reconciliation and the preservation of lives.

Equally, the premier’s comment’s further compound the injury to mind, body and spirit, synonymous with the pillaging of Mapuche ancestral territory, the living body that is for the Mapuche,  ‘Ñuke Mapu’ (mother earth) and her indigenous inhabitants.

As a means of restorative justice and equality for the Mapuche currently living under a racist, discriminatory Chilean State law that has led to 35 vibrant and healthy Mapuche individuals to have no alternative but to seek recourse to such extreme measures in order to attain their fundamental rights in the absence of alternative avenues to justice the strikers call for an end to the militarisation of Mapuche regions, end to the application of Anti Terrorist law to Mapuche, end to simultaneous trials in both civil and military courts for civil crimes, freedom for all Mapuche political prisoners, end to the use of use of anonymous witnesses in Mapuche trials and restoration of Mapuche ancestral territory.

For further information please refer to www.mapuche-nation.org

SOLIDARITY TO OUR ANARCHISTS COMRADES IN CHILI FROM LONDON ACTFORFREEDOMNOW!

 TODAY, Friday 24 September, around 2pm. a number of anarchists and sympathizers from various parts of the metropolis converged on the shopping centre in the middle of the busy intersection Elephant and Castle, south london chosen because of the thousands of people from Latin American countries living in the area. After dropping banners over the main entrance in solidarity with the Mapuche hunger strikers and the 14 anarchists arrested in Chile, they dispersed into and around the shopping centre and local market giving out hundreds of leaflets in English and Spanish.

Unnoticed by the State and private security who were too intent on defending the bosses' wares, the banners stayed in place for hours in full view of bus passengers from almost every country on the planet on their way to and from their places of exploitation.

Today's outing, chosen to coincide with the international solidarity date for our Chilean comrades, rather than being a fait accompli is a call to action everywhere, without delay.

THE PASSION FOR FREEDOM KNOWS NO BORDERS
THE SAME FOR SOLIDARITY
random anarchists in london 

Chile: behind the media circus..

On 14th of august 2010, 14 anarchists were arrested in Santiago de Chile and accused of being involved in a series of bombing campaigns in the country over the past year. Statements have since been released by several groups claiming responsibility for the attacks while the arrestees themselves have denied any responsibility since the very beginning of this charade. The evidence presented against them by the prosecution could not be more ridiculous; from magazines and newspapers to common household items apparently intended for the manufacturing of “explosive devices”, anything is welcome to bolster paranoia. A few months earlier, on July12th, 34 prisoners on remand of the Mapuche indigenous group went (and still remain, after 74 days) on hunger strike in the Chilean prisons of Temuco, Valdivia, Angol and Concepcion. They are demanding the abolition of the Anti-terrorist law as well as an end to the military occupation of their lands located in the South of the country and subjected for years to an ongoing plundering by western corporations. The Mapuche people are characterised by a strong bond with their surrounding natural environment. Their ancestral relation with their land as well as the destruction of the latter by national and international capital’s eternal quest to extract more and more profit from it has motivated the Mapuche to develop an increasingly militant line of action.

While these issues have been subjected to a total information blackout by the mainstream media, both Chilean and international, the mining ‘accident’ that happened on August 6 at the San José copper mine in Copiapo, Chile resulting in 33 miners remaining trapped over 2,300 feet underground, has on the contrary enjoyed a great deal of media attention. Piñera, the recently elected Chilean president, is using the incident to clean the poor image of his government after a series of highly unpopular moves. His sluggish and elitist reaction to what happened following lasts summer’s earthquake along with his extreme conservative policies badly hitting the poorest social classes, had made his level of popularity drop dramatically. Hence the deployment of this “Big Brother” operation aimed at creating a false image of national unity. Nevertheless, little attention has been paid by the mass media to facts such as the workers not receiving their wages, their appalling working conditions and their message of support to the Mapuche cause. Instead, the journalists have focused on unimportant details such as how many bibles the miners got or the number of wives claiming benefits for each one of their trapped husbands.

For the average respectable and law-abiding British citizen, commonly ignorant of facts such as the UK’s involvement as one of the chief arms providers to Pinochet’s dictatorship back in the 80s, this subject might seem to fall into the category “none of my business”. However, silly as it might sound, he or she might be wiping their ass every day with paper manufactured from trees taken straight from the deforestation of Mapuche lands. Every penny we have in our pockets is made from copper, involving us directly in the condition of these miners in Chile and quite sure many other countries. The same goes for the chips in our laptops, our mobile phone... the list could go on for a while. London is a major economic centre, meaning that many triggers are pulled, a lot of blood is spilled so that capital can keep flowing into the city. It is the ‘counterterrorism law’ enacted in 1984 by Pinochet, which still allows Mapuche activists to be charged as ‘terrorist suspects’ and tried in military courts today.
Chile passes for a democratic country now. So maybe in your opinion everything is all right and no reasons should be left for protest or radical change. In the same line of thinking, all those Chilean anarchists might actually deserve whatever befalls them. The mistake is to think that any democratic country guarantees freedom, welfare and a fair life for everybody. Look around, look at yourself, can you really see that democratic paradise existing anywhere?

Even the most affluent democratic states like the UK keep their share of homeless, poor and beggars. A life devoted to the pursuit of a professional career soon reveals itself as an unsatisfactory senseless rat race driven by nothing but money and kept going in many cases by tonnes of anti-depressants. More and more families are struggling to make ends meet, while the vast majority of the population are granted the “freedom” of wasting their life tied to the chains of wage slavery. The same old story of exploitation and authoritarian abuse comes to the surface again and we find that under the auspices of our beloved democracy political power is exerted by a bunch of thieves known as professional politicians. They say we have the “power” and the “freedom” to elect them but this is starting to sound for an increasing amount of people like a bloody joke. What this fundamental lie hides is that we remain stripped of any power, whether personal or collective, to make decisions concerning our own lives.

On top of all this the “crisis” comes and as usual it is the poorest, whether the working or unemployed part of the population, who have to pay for the mess. At all times we are reminded how lazy we are and how little we do to increase productivity due to our lack of a “competitive” and market/business-oriented mind. Of course, it is always our fault; we are not perfect slaves yet, we still need a bit of a reminder so it’s time to cut this and that, it’s time to make things more and more difficult. Everything will be all right - unless of course, someone does not swallow these lies and tries to do something about it that does not follow the legally permitted (and therefore useless) ways of protest. Such is the case of the Chilean anarchists. Such is the case of the Mapuche people. Such would our case be if we were to confront the rules of our own democracy.

Immediate freedom

to the arrested anarchists!

Stop the plunder of

Mapuche land now!

INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY!!

AGAINST THE TERRORISM OF THE STATE AND CAPITAL!

                                     

Random anarchists

http://paismapuche.org/

http://actforfreedomnow.blogspot.com/

http://culmine.noblogs.org/

London contact: actforfreedomnow@yahoo.com

LA PASION POR LA LIBERTAD NO TIENE FRONTERAS AL IGUAL QUE LA SOLIDARIDAD 

El 14 de septiembre de agosto del 2010 tuvo lugar por parte del estado y bajo la orden del fiscal Alejandro Pena la denominada “operación Salamadra”, un intento represivo que tiene por objetivo perseguir a los chilenos que luchan. Con invasiones en los locales sociales y en los centros ocupados y tras entrar en decenas de casas particulares de todo el país, detuvieron a 14 personas, varones y mujeres, que fueron conducidas al edificio policial de la región de Nunca. Al día siguiente se las llevaron al juzgado de Santiago acusadas de los mas de cien ataques de bombas producidos los últimos años en el territorio chileno. La manifestación que tuvo lugar fuera de los juzgados como muestra de solidaridad con los detenidos fue reprimida con violencia y con 40 arrestos de identificación. 

Con la ayuda de los medios de masa que crearon un clima culpatorio contra todos los detenidos y sin ninguna prueba concluyente en el juicio inmediato, se ordeno el encarcelamiento temporal de 8 de las 14 personas detenidas hasta tenga lugar el juicio definitivo. Las otras 6 retenidas fueron dejadas en libertad, prohibiéndoseles la salida del país, la comunicación entre ellos y con las que estan en preventiva. Tambien se les prohibio la comunicacion con los centros sociales y con locales ocupados que allano la policía y se les obliga a comparecer semanalmente en comisaría. Los varones fueron trasladados a las C.A.S. cárcel de máxima seguridad y las mujeres al Centro de Orientación femenina. Todxs se encuentran aisladxs. El lunes 6 de septiembre fueron detenidas otras 2 personas en el contexto del “caso bombas”. 

En las últimas décadas la careta democrática del estado chileno basandose en el pretexto de “desarrollo económico” ha destruido todos y cada uno de los derechos sociales (colectivos) y sindicales para vender una gran parte de la tierra a multinacionales como benetton y a grandes compañías madereras, de forraje y de explotación turista-hotelera en el sur del país, expulsando violentamente a los oriundos mapuches de sus por derecho, tierras ancestrales. Sus regiones empezaron a ser invadidas por grupos paramilitares de extrema derecha bajo las ordenes de ricos terratenientes que aterrorizan y asesinan a todos aquellos que organizan su resistencia contra los planes de los dominadores. Fuertes conflictos han tenido y tienen lugar y decenas de mapuches han sido arrestados y encarcelados por luchar contra la invasión policiaco-militar en sus territorios. El numero de mapuches que están pendientes de juicio se calcula es de 400, la mayoría de ellos sencillos campesinos que luchan por reconquistar sus tierras usurpadas por el estado chileno y que ahora se encuentran en manos de gigantes multinacionales (corporaciones) de la madera y la energía. 

Así desde el 2009 se ha puesto en marcha la conocida ley antiterrorista, que fue ratificada en el periodo de la dictadura militar de A. Pinochet con el fin de controlar los encarnizados ataques y agitaciones de la región norte del país, que es territorio salvaje habitado por los mapuches. La citada ley que busca triplicar las penas en los casos de materiales incendiarios y de ocupaciones de tierras, ha sido aplicada 16 veces en las ultimas décadas y la mayoría de la veces sobre mapuches. Desde el principio del verano del 2010, los prisioneros políticos mapuches que entraron en huelga de hambre fueron por orden judicial obligados al poco tiempo a ingerir forzosamente suministros de comida. Meses después, en septiembre, les siguieron presos mapuches menos de edad reclamando la libertad de todos y cada uno de los presos políticos y exigiendo el fin de las persecuciones.  

En cuanto las desigualdades sociales se acentuaron y los ricos fueron mas ricos y los pobres se empobrecieron mas, se intensificaron las luchas sociales en todo Chile y en cada manifestación se hicieron mas fuertes los enfrentamientos, mientras paralelamente las explosiones de bomba tenían como mira objetivos estatales e internacionales. En este contexto de agitación se llevo a cabo el “pogrom” contra compañeros anarquistas y libertarios, quienes sin pruebas reales, mas que su participacion en la lucha social, han sido acusados de causar conflictos y acciones-bomba. 

El comunicado del centro social autonomo y biblioteca libertaria Jony Cariqueo, y del centro social ocupado Vanzetti, La Crota, dice:  

“Somos el objetivo que han elegido para acallar la tragedia de los 33 mineros y de sus familias, victimas de la explotación que ejercen los poderosos y de la huelga que hacen los compañeros mapuches por defender la tierra que les pertenece”. “La maquinaria (conspiración) política y judicial es claramente la construcción de una organización terrorista ilegal en la cual hay jefes y son todos esquizofrénicos. Nosotros como antiautoritarios o anarquistas no creemos, ni acatamos jerarquías y menos aun ordenes. Eso que el fiscal Pena llamo la financiación del terrorismo, se llama solidaridad internacional. Eso que la policía llama “centro de poder” son lugares donde han sido creadas bibliotecas y desde los cuales se enfrenta la realidad cotidiana de la explotación y se lucha contra la sociedad del sin sentido. Allí se construyen relaciones humanas lejos de la lógica de la mercantilización que se basan en valores como la solidaridad, las relaciones horizontales, el apoyo reciproco y la autogestión”.  

LA SOLIDARIDAD ES UNA POTENTE ARMA.  

LIBERTAD PARA TODXS LXS LUCHADORXS DE CHILE Y PARA TODXS LXS CAUTIVXS DE ESTA GUERRA SOCIAL DE CLASES

RANDOM LONDON ANARCHISTS

Mapuche Solidarity - Direct Action in Vancouver

by Mapuche Solidarity Vancouver

September 23rd, 2010
Early in the afternoon on September 23rd a small group of us here in Vancouver, Coast Salish Territory, responded to the call-out for international solidarity with the 34 Mapuche weichafes (warriors) in prison in Chile, who have been on hunger strike since July 12th and also with the 14 anarchist revolutionaries who have been in prison since the August 14th raids on squats and social centers in Santiago.
We taped the Mapuche flag and dumped red paint on the front door of the Chilean consulate's offices which is located on the 16th floor on 1185 West Georgia Street in Vancouver.
The Mapuche and anarchist comrades give us much inspiration in their determined struggle against the government and corporations of Chile. We hope that this small act reach the hearts of the resistance fighters and contribute to their will to persevere.
This struggle is international! We are with you.
Marichiweu (ten times we will win).
Coast Salish Territories
(Vancouver, Canada)

Por qué Pinochet no está cómodo en su tumba

Comunicado de la red de contrainformación contrainfo.espiv.net en solidaridad con todos los políticamente perseguidos por el régimen de Chile, para la concentración del 24 de septiembre en Atenas, fuera de la embajada de Chile, en el marco de la jornada internacional de solidaridad con los presos en Chile. El Estado de Chile en 2009 puso en marcha una gran operación de persecución, contra ocupantes e indígenas mapuche, con el fin de exterminarles. En ambos casos, en colaboración perfecta con la Justicia, el objetivo era el mismo. Cargos de terrorismo. …el show “caso bombas”…    A la madrugada del 15 de agosto tuvo lugar una redada policial, increíblemente extensa e impresionante, en varias ciudades de Chile. Fuerzas policiales irrumpieron en ocupas, centros sociales y casas, deteniendo a muchas personas y destruyendo lo que encontraban a su paso.    El nuevo descubrimiento del Estado chileno se llama “caso bombas”. La nueva operación de la policía chilena estriba en la localización de la presa adecuada, con tal de acusarle de 23 atentados con uso de explosivos, ocurridos en la ciudad de Santiago. Siete luchadores anarquistas están encarcelados, sujetos a un aislamiento total en los calabozos de la democracia burguesa afrontados con cargos de delitos mayores, unas imputaciones falsificadas y testificaciones de “testigos” falsas.    La Prensa del país, desde hace unos meses ha estado preparando el terreno de estas detenciones, apuntando a unas personas y movimientos concretos. No nos olvidamos del caso del escritor y músico anarquista vasco Asel Luzarraga, quien fue acusado a principios de 2009 de ser autor de varios atentados con explosivos, fue condenado a arresto domiciliario y finalmente fue expulsado del Estado chileno. Su única relación con todo lo susodicho era su solidaridad públicamente declarada con el pueblo mapuche, principalmente a través de textos de apoyo a su causa. …y la historia no termina aquí…    Lo que no lograron los Incas y los conquistadores españoles, lo han logrado el Estado chileno y la dictadura de Pinochet, digno continuador de la cual es la actual democracia burguesa. Represión, asesinatos, juicios con cargos falsificados, exclusión social, prohibición de uso de su propia lengua, destrucción de su organización social, etc. El pillaje de la tierra de los mapuche y su desplazamiento forzado de los territorios que poseen desde hace siglos, estriba en una estrategia más general del Estado de acabar con cualquier enemigo interno, para establecer  el “consenso nacional” y aplicar el modelo occidental de “desarrollo” sin roces internos. Un papel importante en esta “liquidación” han asumido los medios de desinformación masivos, tanto con publicaciones difamatorias, como ocultando el papel sucio del Estado, de las empresas multinacionales de madera y metalúrgicas, las cuales han usurpado sus territorios tradicionales y los están devastando, causando un daño irreversible al ambiente medio natural, o el papel de grupos paraestatales,  que reiteradas veces han atacado al pueblo mapuche, quemando territorios suyos. Un ejemplo característico del papel sucio de los medios de desinformación masivos constituye la ocultación del comunicado de solidaridad con el pueblo mapuche que editaron hace unos días los 33 mineros atrapados.     El pueblo indígena de mapuche está reclamando lo evidente. La devolución de sus tierras y el respecto al derecho de la autodeterminación. Los mapuche constituyen un movimiento de liberación nacional, el concepto primordial del cual sobre el Estado está desprendido de la típica bipolar confección occidental Estado Nación, puesto que su cosmovisión es próxima a la existencia de la existencia de la nación sin la del Estado. Esta cosmovisión y tradición social del pueblo, próxima a la consideración libertaria, ha creado durante los últimos años unos lazos de apoyo mutuo entre el pueblo mapuche y el movimiento anarquista de Chile. No cabe duda de que los mapuche están siendo criminalizados, procesados y condenados por lo que creen y no por lo que actúan.    Por más de 2 meses y medio, 35 presos mapuche están en huelga de hambre (casi todos condenados con la ley antiterrorista, que está aplicado a sus casos con una facilidad excesiva, aún en casos de protestas no violentas) reclamando el derecho evidente a la vida, a la conservación de su cultura, así como la suspensión de su persecución con la ley antiterrorista. http://es.contrainfo.espiv.net/2010/09/23/comunicado-contrainfo/ contrainfo.espiv.net

Stop the press! Pinochet is uncomfortable in his grave

Announcement of the Translation Counter-Information Network contrainfo.espiv.net in solidarity with all the politically persecuted by the regime of Chile, for the concentration of the 24th of September, out of the Embassy of Chile, in the context of the international solidarity day with the political prisoners in Chile. In 2009, the chilean state commenced an intensive campaign of persecution against squatters and Mapuche natives, aiming at their extinction. In perfect cooperation with the judicial system, the goal was the same in both cases: accusations of terrorism. …the “Bomb Case” spectacle… Early in the morning of August 15 an incredibly extensive and spectacular police operation took place in various Chilean cities. Police forces invaded squats, social spaces and houses, arresting plenty of people and destroying everything in their way.  This new device of the chilean state is named “Bomb Case”. The new operation of the chilean police intends to find a convenient victim to charge with the 23 bombings that occured in Santiago.  Seven anarchist revolutionaries are imprisoned in the dungeons of the bourgeois democracy at a state of absolute exclusion, facing heavy charges, forged tirades and fake witness testimonies. The chilean press has been laying for months the foundations for certain arrests, by targeting certain spaces and people. Let’s not forget that in 2009  the Basque anarchist writer and musician Asel Luzzaraga who was accused of various bombings, was sentenced to house arrest and finally deported by the chilean state. His only involvement with the aforementioned bombings was his publicly expressed solidarity to the Mapuche people, mainly through texts.  …and that’s not all… The chilean state and pinochet’s dictatorship (who have found a worthy successor in the face of the current bourgeois democracy) have accomplished everything that the inkas and the spanish conquistadors have failed at. Repression, murder, trials based on fabricated tirades, social seclusion, prohibition to use their language, destruction of their social structures etc.  The draining of the Mapuche land and their displacement from grounds that they belong to, for centuries is embedded within a general framework of state strategies that aims at the eradication of every internal enemy in order to restore “national unity” and promote the application of the western “growth” paradigm free of all internal conflicts. The media have once again taken up an important role in this purge through slandering, concealing the role of their corrupted government, the multinational lumber and mining companies who have infringed the Mapuche native ground and are shamelessly preying on it, having as a result the irreversible destruction of the environment as well as the implicit action of mercenaries who have repeatedly attacked Mapuche grounds, burning occupied areas. The concealment of a text composed by 33 miners which pledged solidarity to the Mapuche people exemplifies the media’s filthy role.  The indigenous Mapuche people claim the self-evident: recursion of their land and respect to their right of self-determination. The Mapuche constitute a national liberation movement founded on a national concept different to the classic western bipolar construction of the Nation-State, since their worldview is pertinent to the concept of a stateless nation. During the last few years, this – akin to libertarian views – notion, this worldview and the social tradition of the people have established a fixed link of mutual aid between the Mapuche and the Chilean anarchist movement. There is no doubt that the Mapuche have been criminalized, trialed and sentenced for their thoughts, not for their acts. For more than two and a half months, 35 imprisoned Mapuche are on hunger strike (most of them sentenced according to the anti-terrorist act that is easily applied even in cases of non-violent protests) demanding the cease of persecutions based on the anti-terrorist act and their self-evident right to life and preservation of their culture. http://en.contrainfo.espiv.net/2010/09/23/announcement-contrainfo/ FOR SPANISH:  http://es.contrainfo.espiv.net/2010/09/23/comunicado-contrainfo/ contrainfo.espiv.net

Mapuche hunger strike - 3 prisoners in very serious condition

sysiphus-angrynewsfromaroundtheworld.blogspot.com/2010/09/mapuche-hunger-strike-3-prisoners-in.html

Source: http://paismapuche.org/ - September 21, 2010
About 30 minutes ago due to the severity of their condition Mapuche Political Prisoners 20 year old Víctor Hugo Queipul Millanao and 30 year old Huaikilaf Cadin were urgently transferred from prison in Angol to the hospital in Victoria. The prisoner Huenchullan Felipe, also on hunger strike, has been admitted to the same hospital.
Mapuche communication team.

COMMUNIQUE and PUBLIC DENUNCIATION
Concerning the serious health condition of the Mapuche Political Prisoners in the jail of Angol.
The Autonomous Mapuche Temucuicui Community responsibly communicate the following to public opinion :

1 .- For the past few days the government of Sebastián Piñera has been playing with the lives of our Mapuche Political Prisoners on hunger strike for 71 days and has deceived the public with a propagandised table of dialogue, which has no intention of responding to demands made by our brothers and supported by all the People of the Mapuche Nation. This is just a strategy for communication to the world to make it seem that the Right in power can control and manage social conflicts in Chile.
2 .- At this moment the Mapuche political prisoners are in very poor health. This racist and discriminatory government does not want to give a real solution to the demands posed by the hunger strikers. In all the prisons the bicentennial of Chile was celebrated with grilled empanadas and cuecas, while the hunger strike of our brothers continues without a glimpse of a solution or any credible and concrete dialogue giving assurance and certainty that the government and politicians will respect their word to listen to the demands of our imprisoned social fighters.
3 .- With these pictures we want to denounce the conditions of our brothers. Despite their delicate state of health, they maintain that the strike will not stop until their demands are taken into account by the Piñera government.
4 .- Our brothers Víctor Hugo Queipul Millanao, a member of our community and Waikilaf Cadin of the community of Juan Paillalef have just been transferred from Angol prison and hospitalized in very serious condition.
We call on all the organizations and the Mapuche communities not to fall for the dirty games and deception of this false dialogue table set up by Sebastián Piñera, and to come to Victoria hospital to try to visit our brothers that have been admitted there.
Comunidad Mapuche Autónoma TEMUCUICUI
WALL Mapuche, Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Mapuches Reject Chilean Government Dialogue

SANTIAGO – Families of the roughly three-dozen jailed Mapuche Indian activists on hunger strike said Tuesday that they will not take part in a dialogue with the Chilean government.

The government’s initiative “does not have the goal of resolving the demands of the (hunger) strikers,” Mapuche spokesperson Natividad Llanquileo said outside a prison in the southern city of Concepcion, dismissing the planned talks as a “media show.”

President Sebastian Piñera announced the dialogue last Friday at a ceremony on the eve of Chile’s independence bicentennial.

Though the opening of talks on Indian grievances is one demand of the Mapuche hunger strikers, Piñera did not address more immediate concerns about the terms of their incarceration and prosecution.

“We have a debt to our original peoples, and particularly to the Mapuche people,” the president said, heralding “Plan Araucania” as package of economic and social measures aimed at improving the Mapuches’ quality of life and expanding opportunities for their economic development.

The talks are to take place at Ñielol mountain in the poor southern region of Araucania, heartland of the 650,000-strong Mapuche nation, which lost 95 percent of its land during a “pacification” campaign at the end of the 19th century.

In recent years, Mapuche militants have been torching vehicles, highway toll booths and lumber shipments as part of a campaign to reclaim ancestral lands from the agribusiness concerns and forest products companies that now control much of Araucania.

Successive governments in Santiago have responded mainly with repression, applying a draconian anti-terrorism law imposed during the 1973-1990 dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet.

The legislation allows the state to hold people for up to two years without charges, to restrict defense attorneys’ access to evidence and to use testimony from anonymous witnesses.

Chile’s government is currently holding 106 Mapuches – most of them still awaiting trial – for politically motivated crimes against property.

The Mapuche prisoners on hunger strike are demanding the scrapping of the anti-terror act and the “demilitarization” of Araucania.

“If there is a fatal outcome (to the hunger strike), the government of Chile will be the guilty party,” Llanquileo told Radio Bio Bio on Tuesday.

Both Llanquileo and Rodrigo Curipan, a member of the Mapuche parliament, ruled out taking part in this week’s talks at Ñielol mountain.

The conditions and agenda for the proposed dialogue “were imposed” by the government and have no bearing on resolving the prisoners’ hunger strike, opposition Sen. Jaime Quintana said.

“This is a monologue, comparable to a ceremony for the delivery of subsidies to the indigenous world,” he said. “But a dialogue table, it’s not.”

Speaking for the government, presidential chief of staff Cristian Larroulet said that while no one is excluded from the dialogue, the talks aimed at ending the hunger strike, mediated by Catholic Archbishop Ricardo Ezzati of Concepcion, are separate from the process at Ñielol mountain.

Internationally acclaimed novelist Isabel Allende, winner of Chile’s 2010 National Literature Prize, used the word “terrible” to describe the situation of the Mapuche hunger strikers.

“They could die, several of them are already on the edge of dying,” she told reporters after receiving the Bicentennial Medal from the Chilean Congress. EFE