On May 29-30, the case of Mapuche Political Prisoners will be presented before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights by the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL), based in Washington D.C., and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), based in Europe.
On August 12, 2011, the Inter-American Court on Human Rights decided to give full consideration to this case on behalf of Mapuche community leaders and activists Pascual Pichun‹who recently passed away‹, Segundo Aniceto Norin, Jaime Marileo, José Huenchunao, Juan Marileo, Juan Millacheo, Victor Ancalaf, and Chilean supporter of the Mapuche cause, Patricia Troncoso. The litigation intends to challenge the ³judicial² processes staged in Chile and to expose the traumatic effects of a repressive state policies that have increasingly aggravated the issue of Indigenous rights in the country that have harmed Mapuche families, and communities.
This claim against the Chilean State at the Inter-American Court constitutes a collective and urgent effort from several members, families and relatives of Mapuche activists in prison. In recent years, Mapuche people have experienced serious violations of the spiritual, physical, familiar and social integrity of their homes, communities, and loved ones. This is part of a long colonial history of discrimination, racism and state violence against Indigenous peoples in Chile and throughout Latin America. The appeal to an international institution emerges as the result of the unjust incarceration and harassment by state police to activists and leaders from communities who have stood up for their land rights and the recovery of communal territories in southern Chile.
To directly support the travel expenses of a machi (Mapuche Spiritual, Ritual, and Medicinal Authority) to Attend the Hearing of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in San José, Costa Rica, on May 29-30, 2013, please click here.
Luis Carcamo-Huechante
Mapuche Scholar
Community of Mapuche Historians
