PRESS RELEASE – NO EMBARGO
London, November 03, 2025.
Protesters to Mark One Year Since the Disappearance of Mapuche Elder Julia Chuñil
Protesters will gather outside the Chilean Embassy in London on Friday, 7 November 2025, from 12:00 p.m., to demand action following the disappearance of Mapuche land defender and community leader, Julia Chuñil.
The demonstration organised by students and Chilean exiles and supported by Mapuche groups in the UK — marks one year since Chuñil vanished in southern Chile under unresolved circumstances.
Julia Chuñil, president of the Indigenous community of Putreguel, disappeared on 8 November 2024 while searching for lost animals on her community’s ancestral land. She was widely respected for her leadership in protecting native forests and defending Mapuche territory from land appropriation. Prior to her disappearance, she had received repeated threats linked to her environmental and land defence work.
Her case has prompted ongoing protests in Chile and internationally, amid growing calls for a transparent and independent investigation by Chilean authorities.
A spokesperson for the protest said:
“We are deeply concerned by the lack of action from the Chilean state. Not only has the Escazú Protocol not been applied, but the family has also faced police harassment and media misinformation. We are calling on the government to conduct a full and impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of our community elder.”
Supporters emphasise that this London demonstration forms part of a wider international movement calling for truth, justice, and protection for Indigenous land defenders across Latin America. The organisers stand in solidarity with the Mapuche people and all communities resisting violence, displacement, and environmental destruction.
Photo and interview opportunities available on site.
Event details:
📍 Location: Embassy of Chile, 37–41 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9JA
🕛 Time: 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., Friday 7 November 2025
ENDS
Media Enquiries:
For interviews, photographs, or further information, please contact:
📧 conchabellis@gmail.com
📞 07794540433
🌐 Facebook and Instagram: Chile Solidarity Network.
Notes to Editors
Julia Chuñil (b. 1958) was a respected Mapuche elder and president of the Indigenous community of Putreguel in southern Chile. She disappeared on 8 November 2024 after leaving her home to search for livestock. Local organisations allege that her disappearance is linked to her environmental and land defence activities.
The Mapuche are Chile’s largest Indigenous group, with long-standing territorial claims and ongoing conflicts with the Chilean state and private industries over land, forestry, and water rights.
The Escazú Agreement (or Escazú Protocol) is a regional environmental treaty adopted in 2018, guaranteeing access to environmental information, public participation, and protection for environmental defenders. Chile signed but only recently ratified the treaty; campaigners argue it has yet to be effectively implemented.
According to the UN and international human rights organisations, Latin America remains the most dangerous region in the world for environmental and Indigenous rights defenders.
The Embassy protest in London coincides with actions in Santiago, Temuco, and other international cities marking one year since Chuñil’s disappearance.
https://www.elciudadano.com/justicia/who-ordered-julia-chunil-burned-prosecutor-jaime-calfil-refuses-to-open-a-trial-echoing-his-handling-of-the-macarena-valdes-case/10/01/
