SATURDAY, JANUARY 11, 2014

PUBLIC STATEMENT BY MAPUCHE POLITICAL PRISONER GABRIEL VALENZUELA FROM THE PRISON FOR MINORS IN CHOL-CHOL, CHILE

Freedom for Gabriel Valenzuela poster

To all communities in resistance, the entire national and international public opinion, organizations that support our struggle for reclaiming ancestral lands and autonomy, I, Gabriel Valenzuela Montoya, Mapuche Political Prisoner of the community Wente Winkul Mapu, unjustly condemned by a political setup, denounce that once again the NATIONAL SERVICE FOR MINORS, has violated my rights:

Kiñe: That a week ago I requested respectfully of the management of this Center:
- To authorize me to consume mate daily and with the visits that I receive.
- That I get authorization to receive silverwork materials and tools donated by a representative of the Jesuit Catholic church, to learn a trade (Mapuche silverwork), with the possibility that a lamgen can come to teach me the art.
- To maintain the professional who has been with me since my entry, because SENAME wants to replace her with a person I do not know and in whom I have no confidence, and this person is not interested in my culture's worldview.

Epu: SENAME has given me no response or outcome of the complaint of abuse I was the victim of, by Mrs. Lorena Kaechele, who last summer was the technical chief, and is now awarded making her the director of the center.

Küla: That on January 8 students from a university in the city of Santiago were forbidden to visit me outside the regular hours without giving any reason, so they had to wait for long hours to enter, which had never happened before. This shows a lack of consideration and flexibility for those who with effort come to see me, so SENAME is isolating me from people coming to give me their support and energy in difficult moments for me because my legal issues still have not been cleared.

Meli: Thus, the state through its institutions intends to break my spirit, not respecting my cultural customs, and again putting up various obstacles for activities that allow me to resist this unjust imprisonment. SENAME says to look after the conditions and rights of young people, but all it does is to keep me locked up looking to terminate my spirit.

Kechu: I publicly denounce the Director of this center (Lorena Kaechele) and the Regional Director of SENAME (Claudia de la Hoz) for their racist behaviors and decisions, without arguments for reasons behind their actions, just revealing their lust for power over the integrity of any person.

For all of this I ask the support of all individuals and organizations, to join in the fight to end the discrimination, violations and abuse that affect me and that may in the future affect other peñi facing the repression and persecution of the Chilean state.

I, Gabriel Montoya Valenzuela, young Mapuche Political Prisoner, say goodbye from juvenile prison, with my head always held high and my hands clean.

Marrichiweu!!!!
Newen!!!!
Wewaiñ!!!!

Source: Maricheweu International

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