Distinguished tribal leader and brave campaigner for the rights of her community and the Mapuche people. As a result of her struggle, she has become a target for violent political persecution at the hands of the Chilean establishment and landowners in the region.
Juana Calfunao, as Chief of the Juan Paillelef community, in the Cunco District, IX Araucania Region, is a figurehead of the campaign to recover land belonging to her people which has been occupied by neighbouring landowners. Her situation is one of the most serious cases of human rights violations in Chile.