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CHILEAN POLICE USES GUNS AGAINST PROTESTING MAPUCHE COMMUNITY JUAN PAILLALEF

Jan Jansen | 26.12.2005 18:00 | Anti-militarism | Anti-racism | Repression | World

In the last three days the Mapuche Community ‘Juan Paillalef’ was confronted with harsh police violence. The confrontations started during a peaceful act of protest by the Mapuche Community against illegal road constructions through several Mapuche lands. The police chased away the protesting group and entered the community using guns, teargas and clubs. The following day Juana Calfunao and her sister were arrested without a warrant. When released yesterday, both women showed bad injuries from being beaten by the police.

Represion policial
Represion policial

represion policial
represion policial


Thursday the 22nd the Juan Paillalef community decided to block a piece of road that crosses their land. This road, from Los Laureles to Colico, passes through a number of Mapuche communities. The road that dates from 1946 is currently being widened and paved, not respecting their way of live in the ‘Juan Paillalef Community’. The increase of traffic by heavy trucks transporting timber from higher up in this area of the Andes is a threat to the community.

In the raid by Special Forces, the domicile of the Juan Paillalef community was attacked. The two generators for electricity and for pumping water were destroyed.
Workshops, currently being rebuilt by the community, being their main source of income, were also destroyed. Furthermore all cellular phones were confiscated, leaving the community without possibilities to contact the outside world. Several people, amongst them children, were injured during the police raid.

Juana Calfunao Paillalef is Lonko (political authority) of the Juan Paillalef community, founding member of the NGO Ethical Committee against Torture in Chili, founding member of the Indigenous Human Rights Defence Network and member of the Network Alternatives against Impunity and the Globalization of Trade. In June 2005 she participated in the international seminar “Territory, Life en Human Safety facing the economic and military plans”. In October 2005 she took the role as judge in the International Tribunal of Opinion to judge de External Debt in Madrid, Spain. She was nominated by the International Consultation on Women Human Rights Defenders that took place in Colombo, Sri Lanka in November 2005. During the last two years she went to different countries in Europe to speak about human rights violations, cultural and territorial violations that the community and the Mapuche people have endured.

The community has undertaken the action of blocking the road in order to be heard in their demand for rights. In order to address the issue, the community demands the presence of Yazmin Balboa representative of the MOP: Ministry of Public Building of the IX Region Temuco, Chili. The community wishes to reach a definitive solution on this road, which occupies 1.200mts2 of community land, which has been expropriated since 1946 and never has been paid for.
The Juan Paillalef Community is shocked by the action taken by the Chilean police. It has used an excessive force and has not considered women or children.

The Mapuche Community ‘Juan Paillalef’ asks urgently for the following:
1) For the international community to intervene.
2) For human rights organizations to intervene.
3) To make this document known.

Antonio Cadin Huentelao
Spokesmen for the ‘Juan Paillalef Community


Letters to:
Intendente de la IX Region
Region de la Araucania
Sr Ricardo Patricio Celis Araya
Bulnes 590, piso 2
Temuco, Chile
Fax: +56 45 208217
Directed to: Dear Intendant


Sr. Ministro de Justicia
Sr. Luis Bates
Ministerio de Justicia
Morandé 107, Santiago, Chile
Fax: +56 2 695 4558
Directed to: Dear Minister


Copy of letter to:
Asesor de Gestión de la Presidencia
Sr. Domingo Namuncura
Palacio de la Moneda, Santiago, Chile
Fax: +56 2 6984656
 opinion@presidencia.cl
Directed to: Dear Sir


Sr. Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores
Sr. Ignacio Walker
Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores
Catedral 1158, Piso 3, Santiago, Chile
Fax: +56 2 696 8796
Directed to: Dear Sir






Estimados señores:

Con la presente condenamos la violencia empleada contra los integrantes de la comunidad Mapuche Juan Paillalef, en la comuna de Cunco en la IX. Región de Chile y las violaciones de los Derechos Humanos cometidos. Exigimos al gobierno de Ricardo Lagos que aclare lo ocurrido y atienda las demandas de negociación y de defensa de sus derechos de esta comunidad mapuche. En un país que tanto sufrió la dictadura militar se vuelve a balear a ciudadanos que se manifiestan contra una ilegalidad y para defender sus derechos territoriales, políticos y culturales.

La situación de la comunidad se ha puesto extremo para sus integrantes a partir del pasado 23 de diciembre de 2005, hay heridos y detenidos, hay abusos de poder y claros indicios de amenazas de muerte, intimidación e intentos de asesinato según muestran fotos que señalan los impactos de balas en un caballo en el que estaba montada la Lonko de esta comunidad, Juana Rosa Calfunao, durante los disturbios con la policía.

Según portavoces de la propia comunidad, unidades especiales de Carabineros provocaron desde el martes, 20 de diciembre de 2005, reiteradamente desordenes, irrumpieron en la comunidad, atacaron a las personas con gases lacrimógenos e incluso con armas de fuego, violando gravemente los derechos humanos de las personas de esta comunidad. Además fueron detenidas la dirigente Mapuche, Lonko de dicha comunidad Juana Rosa Calfunao y su hermana Luisa Calfunao, gravemente herida esta última siendo madre de cuatro menores y uno de ellos (2 años) amamantando. Las fuerzas de orden destrozaron la vivienda y todos sus enseres personales, esparcieron los alimentos y rompieron los generadores de electricidad y de agua, también llevándose todos los materiales de trabajo agrícola y de comunicación. Cabe resaltar que la vivienda de Juana Calfunao fue encendida por desconocidos en tres ocasiones.

La comunidad aludida se ha estado manifestando estos días porque alegan que el Ministerio de Obras Publicas de Chile, construyó un camino sobre terrenos mapuches, y no realizó las acciones que le obliga la ley.

Las mujeres Mapuche, están detenidas en la Tercera Comisaría de Padre las Casas, a la espera de que el fiscal de turno determine, si formalizara cargos en su contra. Por la interrupción de las comunicaciones no tenemos información sobre el actual estado de las personas.

Juana Calfunao Paillalef, denunció en diferentes países europeos (España, Inglaterra, Holanda, Suiza, etc.) y ante organizaciones nacionales (Campaña ¿Quién debe a quién?, Foro Alternativo sobre la Cumbre Iberoamericana de Salamanca, etc.) e internacionales (tales como la Organización Internacional contra la Tortura, la Comisión de DDHH de las NNUU) al gobierno chileno por las violaciones de los Derechos Humanos que es víctima su la comunidad Juan Paillalef como el Pueblo Mapuche en general.


Solicitamos a las autoridades:

1) El cese inmediato de la violencia contra la comunidad.
2) Asistencia médica y la presencia de la Cruz Roja Internacional en la comunidad.
3) La libertad inmediata e incondicional para los detenidos.
4) La retirada de la policía, la investigación de los hechos y el establecimiento de justicia y reparación por los daños causados.
5) La presencia de la presidencia de Chile en el lugar de los hechos, así como del Defensor del Pueblo, las autoridades locales y del Ministerio de Obras Públicas, responsables por la construcción de la infraestructura en cuestión.
6) Una comisión con participación de organismos de Derechos Humanos que investigue la verdad sobre el territorio invadido de la comunidad y que establezca cauces para la salida del conflicto según establece el derecho.


Atentamente,

Jan Jansen

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