Mapuche International Link Statement on the Election of Kast to the Chilean Presidency

MIL December 17, 2025

With the arrival of José Antonio Kast to the presidency of Chile in March of next year, a repressive and genocidal policy against Indigenous peoples will be deepened and complemented, aligning with the measures promoted in Argentina by the government of Javier Milei.

In repeated statements to Chilean media, Kast has expressed his intention to repeal the Indigenous Law and other regulations that protect the basic rights of Indigenous peoples, as well as to withdraw Chile from, or fail to implement, ILO Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, an international treaty ratified by the Chilean state. These actions would leave Indigenous communities, particularly the Mapuche people, in a situation of total legal defencelessness.

In Argentina, numerous Mapuche communities face legal proceedings for alleged land usurpation on territories they have inhabited ancestrally for thousands of years, with the aim of dispossessing them of their lands in favour of economic interests. Without the protection of national and international laws, these communities are exposed to persecution, dispossession, and criminalization.

Kast has also announced his intention to close CONADI, the government institution responsible for the restitution of land to Mapuche communities whose territories have been illegally taken by forestry companies and large landowners. The closure of this institution would represent a serious setback in Indigenous rights and historical reparation.

The Mapuche people are currently facing threats and policies that evoke genocidal practices similar to those used by the military dictatorships of the 1970s, a period when both Chile and Argentina were under authoritarian regimes. Those policies failed completely. The demands did not cease; instead, the sense of unity, cultural identity, and collective strength of the Mapuche people grew stronger, not only within their ancestral territories but also in cities such as Santiago and Valparaíso, where communities organized to demand respect for their rights.

The election of José Antonio Kast has generated concern and surprise among several South American leaders and political actors, who have publicly warned about the regional implications of a return to authoritarian and ultra-right agendas. Colombian President Gustavo Petro has publicly expressed deep concern about the normalization of far-right politics in the region, warning that trends rooted in authoritarianism and fascist legacies pose a direct threat to democracy and human rights. In strong remarks following Kast’s victory, Petro said he would “never shake the hand of a Nazi” and denounced what he described as the advance of fascism in Latin America, explicitly criticizing Kast’s election.

When the Mapuche people are attacked, there is no doubt they will defend themselves. If national laws do not guarantee their protection, they will turn to international laws and courts to assert their rights and denounce the violations committed against them.

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