Mapuche community members of Traiguen attacked by Chilean police

8 th February 2005

Public Statement

Jose de la rosa Nahuelpi Millapan and Lorenzo Nahuelpi Millapan, members of the Pantano community of Traiguen, would like notify the public of the following incident:

"We were detained by police respectively at around 11:30 in Traiguen and at 14:00 on Thursday 3 rd of February in the Pantano community. We were given no reason for this and no warrant was shown to us, we were taken to the police station in Traiguen where we were held for 24 hours without being given a reason for our detention.

"I, Lorenzo Nahuelpi was detained by about 80 officers who arrived at my house after lunch. I was sitting with members of my family, my brother-in-law, my wife, both my elderly parents, my 3 children (including a young baby), and my young nephews; when they came into the house and threatened me with a gun to my head. The police burst into my house violently and attacked and insulted me in front of my family, striking my 8-year-old nephew. I was subsequently taken to the police station, having been given no explanation for my treatment, or shown no warrant for my arrest, where I remained incommunicado for the following 24 hours.

"On the Friday, myself and my brother Jose were taken to court at around 13:30. It was only at this point that we were informed that we were being charged with the violent theft of a bicycle, an incident that occurred 6 months previously.

"At the end of the hearing it was decided that we were to be detained until further notice and the investigation was given 3 months to be completed.

"Since this we have had no legal defence. Our supposed lawyer, Jaime Lopez, who claims to be a Mapuche, spent only a few minutes with us before the hearing, and asked us a few questions. As we were denied the time to give alibis and back-up to our defence, we now find ourselves imprisoned under precautionary detention.

"We would like to know why the police presence was necessitated by 80 officers and why the prosecutor, Sergio Moya, has gone to such extremes to incriminate us for a crime that we have not committed.

"The newspapers Renacer, La Segunda and some electronic media have reported our case as that of 'delinquents', slandering us as suspects of arson. We have never been involved in arson and cannot understand why these publications are libelling us in this way.

"We believe that all this is an attempt to frame us because we are Mapuches who are active in the struggle for our rights and self determination. Otherwise, how can the press coverage that our case has received, and the disproportionate number of officers sent to apprehend us be explained?

"The State no longer accuses Mapuche activists of terrorism, but of common criminality. We are imprisoned because justice does not belong to the Mapuche. Justice belongs to the rich and powerful.

"Prosecutor Moya violated his own laws on interrogating us, by refusing to inform us of our rights and the reason for our detention. He charged us with robbery, and we were also interrogated in relation to alleged arson offences.

"The police acted extremely heavy-handedly, threatening us and insulting us with racist comments. They did not respect our elderly parents or our children and went to the extreme of hitting an 8 year old child. Our family, especially our children, are still terrified as a result of the invasion of our home by so many officers.

"We are calling on all Mapuche communities to be aware of the strategies that are now being used to imprison those Mapuche who resist and fight.

Freedom to all Mapuche political prisoners

From Traiguen prison, Jose and Lorenzo Nahuelpi Millapan

MARRICHIWEW

Translated by James Bamford

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