Political persecution and judicial bias against the Mapuche-Lafkenche leader
Public statement from Arauco prison Lafkenmapu, April 2008
I, Luis Meñaco Santi, Mapuche political prisoner, imprisoned in the Arauco prison (Region VIII) since last April the 15th, and member of the Pascual Koña community of the Lleu Lleu sector, want to bring to the attention of the Mapuche nation and the general public the following situation:
This unjust incarceration in which I currently find myself, is not more than another of the innumerable fabrications of the political judiciary that has brought conflict to the political resurgence of the Mapuche communities.
The incarceration of Mapuche activists is one of the techniques employed by the Chilean state to try and prevent the reconstruction of our nation. Our agricultural people, that work the land and try, day by day, to rescue and defend our ancestral rights to territory, culture, economy and a socio-political system; are now considered "a danger to society" by the racially-prejudiced courts of the Chilean state.
Nevertheless, we know that Chile is a country that has historically repressed the Mapuche nation; militarizing communities, violent police incursions, forcibly applying the Internal Security Law and the Antiterrorism Law, tactics such as the use of secret testimonies and the infiltration of informants within the communities; leading finally to the incarceration of our people.
I also want to explain the events of the 10th of November 2007, the date on which the events occurred for which they now accuse me of "stealing and setting fire to a vehicle" in Huentelolen (south of Cañete). I was returning to Santiago having been invited by the political leader of the Arauco communities to consider the situation of the Mapuche political prisoners who are on hunger strike in Angol.
Because there was a street demonstration (also campaigning for the freedom of the Mapuche political prisoners) I couldn't continue to my house in Lleu Lleu. Although I was there for a few minutes, I returned to Huentelolen around 12:00, while the events that I have been imprisoned for happened after 14:00, proving undoubtedly that I did not participate in the acts I have been investigated for.
The strange thing is that, the correspondent, or 'victim', who was writing the story never attempted to discover my version of events, instead relying solely on information given by customs officers and the office of the public prosecutor. This situation only serves to demonstrate the extent of corruption employed against me.
This method of public condemnation of the Mapuche people prior to the official legal findings, has been a tonic to the cause of the persecuted Mapuche freedom fighters.
Finally I want to clarify that I am not leader of the Coordinating Araucan-Malleco as was announced the mass media that day, including Cooperative radio, Channel 13, Renacer Newspaper and TVN. I do not belong to this organization. I am a Mapuche community member who works towards for the reconstruction of our Nation.
Enough political-judicial fabricated allegations!
Freedom for all Mapuche political prisoners!
MARRICHIWEW!
Luis Meñaco Santi
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Translated from the original Spanish by Harry Greatorex, 26/04/2008