Comisión Mapuche de Derechos Humanos Mapuche Human Rights Commission Commission Mapuche des droits de l’homme

Public Statement

Mapuche Human Rights Commission

Europe November 7th, 2021

State of Emergency in Mapuche territory. Protect the human rights of the Mapuche population.

We request the support of the Institute of Human Rights in Chile, The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous people and the Inter-American Commission on human rights, to take effective action to stop the imposition of a Constitutional State of Emergency on Mapuche territory.

On March 3rd, 2021, the Chilean Chamber of Deputies approved Draft Resolution 1448, giving the president political and legal backing to declare a Constitutional State of Emergency and deploy the military in the country’s Southern Zone (Mapuche territory).

On October 12th, 2021, President Sebastian Piñera officially declared the State of Emergency in the provinces of Bío Bío, Arauco, Malleco and Cautín, bringing into force Resolution 1448, legislation that empowers the military with the right to restrict movement and freedom of assembly, and grants the military the power to assume a policing role within the area. Roughly 2,000 soldiers have been mobilised in the region covered by the State of Emergency – a device that legalises the collective oppression of the Mapuche people.

In our Public Statement on 3/5/21 we stated our conviction that Chile’s military and policing institutions do not act as guarantors of peace, safeguard public order or enable governance.

On November 3rd, 2021, the actions of Chilean soldiers resulted in the death of a young Mapuche man, Jordi Lepin, 23, and multiple gunshot wounds to adults and children. Indeed these actions, combined with a campaign of misinformation and arbitrary State of Emergency clearly do nothing to guarantee peace, nor safeguard public order, nor enable governance.

The government has taken no notice of judicial findings national and international that have concluded the non-existence of terrorism in the region and highlighted that in Araucania the conflict is between the Chilean state and the Mapuche people. They have recommended that the state adopt a political solution that would imply a high level dialogue between the state and the different Mapuche leaderships.

• We request the support of the Chilean Institute of Human Rights, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, to take effective action to stop the extension of a Constitutional State of Emergency on Mapuche territory.
• In view of the imminent danger of the extension of the State of Constitutional Emergency we request the implementation of Precautionary measures by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to support bringing a case against President Piñera and the Minister of the interior, Rodrigo Delgado, to the Chilean Court of Appeal, for violating Principles of Equality and Legality as defined in Convention 169 of the ILO.

Jorge Calbucura
Executive Director, Mapuche Human Rights Commission
e-mail: calbucura.j@gmail.com

National Sections

Reynaldo Mariqueo
Mapuche Human Rights Commission, England
e-mail: mapuche.hrc@gmail.com
Domingo Paine
Mapuche Human Rights Commission, Sweden
e-mail: domingopaine@hotmail.com
Osvaldo Negreira
Mapuche Human Rights Commission, Argentina
e-mail: logkokaxinaopisen@hotmail.com