Public Communiqué

Unto the latest events taking place in the Mapuche conflict zone, resulting in the detention of 11 Mapuche community members, the Arauco Malleco Coordinating Committee (CAM) informs our Mapuche People, national and international opinion the following:

1. In actual fact, investigations personnel (PDI) elaborated various raids in the communities of Choque and San Ramón, in the early morning hours, within the Lleu Lleu area. The procedures were extremely violent and abuse with our people, resulting in the detention of outstanding weichafe [warriors] and community sympathizers of our organization. We wish to publicly recognize our weichafe that include some historic and emblematic Mapuche leaders in the area, whom are part of our organization.

2. This new police-judicial offense carried out by Public Ministry (with ad hoc prosecutors) and the current government against the mobilized communities and conflict in general, and against the CAM in particular, responds to the repressive policy of the Chilean State against our Mapuche Nation.

The Chilean State, through the current government has expressed their arbitrary support for corporations, favoring the capitalist expansion in the area. This is understood not only by constant acts of repression against mobilized communities, but also in the greater intervention in defense of powerful interests, which include covert and obscure counterinsurgency operatives in the area and the installation of militarized camps with special force officers in forestry estates.

3. The true objectives behind the police repression of the Chilean State is to stop the processes of territorial and political reclamation carried out by the communities in struggle and by the Arauco Malleco Coordinating Committee; pretending to consolidate the corporate offense in the areas in conflict in the expression of forestry/logging and mining investments in the Lleu-Lleu area. In this sense, we reaffirm that the Choque communities were carrying out land reclamations against the forestry companies, such as Mininco and Volterra that are usurpers in the area, expressed in their productive activities such as logging and harvesting. In fact, the arrests took place in this context and within the mobilized Mapuche communities.

4. Clearly, this repressive offense seeks to pave the road for the readjustment of forestry investment in the area, as well as paving an absolutely viable road to the installation of mining on Lake Lleu-Lleu; meaning the definite annihilation of Mapuche communities within the area, in the long term.

5. We call out on all Mapuche communities to stay alert to future outcomes of this confrontation of our Mapuche Nation and the capitalist Chilean State, since out compromise as the Arauco Malleco Coordinating Committee is to struggle ceaselessly against the transnational invasion in this area.

As long as corporate threat with capitalist investment menaces our territory and Mapuche life….

As long as poverty and misery flourishes from the lack of land along with State policies that legitimize territorial plunder, the CAM will continue to exist.

TERRITORY AND AUTOMONY FOR THE MAPUCHE NATION!!
FREEDOM FOR ALL THE MAPUCHE POLITICAL PRISONERS!!

WEWAIÑ!!

COORDINADORA ARAUCO MALLECO (C.A.M)
[Arauco Malleco Coordinating Committee]

Distributed by:
The Women’s Coordinating Committee Chile-Canada [Toronto]
Email: wccc_98@hotmail.com