Historic march of the Mapuche Nation in Temuco, Chile

Marcha en Temuco de los pueblos
SOURCE: Periódico Fewla (independent Mapuche community newspaper), translated to English by Awasqa. Photos and video: Radio Kvrruf

The call for action represents the support of the Lof [community leaders] and communities in resistance, and of the different Mapuche organizations, to the process of mobilization of the Chilean society that seeks for equity and justice. The central slogans pointed to the need for a new plurinational constitution that guarantees Mapuche autonomy and self-determination, the end of the predatory action of forestry companies in the Wallmapu [Mapuche nation-territory] the consecration of the water resource as a human right, and an end to militarization of the territories.

Foto: Radio Kurruf
Fuente: Radio Kurruf

“We came to express our feelings to the Chilean State, about how our people have been treated throughout history, it has been enough and we have a great opportunity and a great challenge to lead our way towards the goals of our people that are the rights to land, self-determination and advancement of self-government so that one day our people will be able to decide their own destiny ”(…)“ The great creative spirits of our land left us this land that we inhabit today, but the Chilean State promoted the invasion, promoted alienation, confiscation of our rights. They took away our land, our house that Ngechén left us, our great creative spirit of our mapu, ”said Galvarino Reimán, leader of the Nagche territory.

Those who came out to protest arrived from the most remote points of the Wallmapu, such as Cautín and Malleco. The werken Mikhael Carbone Queipul, of the Mapuche Territorial Alliance [Alianza Territorial Mapuche] expressed: “This is a Mapuche mobilization, from different communities that have arrived from the different territories, that despite the weather, the rain, the police controls on roads, we have arrived here to deliver direct support to the mobilized Chilean people who refuse today to continue being trampled by a state that gives privileges to a few and reaffirm the resistance of the Mapuche nation.”

Foto: Radio Kurruf

Different Chilean workers unions joined the mobilization reaffirming the unity of the peoples in this process of claiming for our rights. The march culminated with a concentration in front of the Temuco prison, to show solidarity for the Mapuche political prisoners.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: See Amnesty International’s report on the criminalization of the Mapuche indigenous people in Chile.

Organisations