The indigenous communities of southern Chile have seen the dispossession of their lands for private interests for centuries. Their resistance has been met by a systematic criminalization by the Chilean state. Recently, this long struggle entered a new phase in one struggling Mapuche community.
On March 28, Alejandra Araneda and Violeta Araneda went before a judge in the municipality of Concepción for charges related to their 2016 occupation of roughly ten acres of land owned by one of Chile’s most powerful logging companies.
“For years we have suffered from persecution,” said Elvira Sánchez, the spokeswoman for the activists’ land occupation.
Sánchez herself also faces charges for the theft of lumber related to the occupation of land.
The three are part of the recuperation of land in the Curanilahue area of Bío Bio region, which was once home to the Huilliche peoples - which is a branch of the Mapuche peoples of southern Chile - before business interests displaced them.
The activists occupied land owned by the Chilean logging firm Forestal Arauco S.A, which is a subsidiary of the powerful Angelini Group.
Over 60 families formed the community on the occupied land. Member named their new community Construyendo Futuro (Constructing the Future). Since the recuperation began, the community has greatly expanded, with families constructing numerous houses.
Since the occupation began, the community has faced consistent intimidation from the Chilean police and armed forces.
“We are asking nothing else from the government [of right-wing President Sebastián Piñera], we are only asking for the land,” said Sánchez. “There is no place to consturuct housing or terrain to live a dignified life. Because of this we launched the recuperation of the land.”
As the activists went before the judge, other members of the resistance filed an appeal to the charges.
On April 23 of this year, the Chilean police arrived at the occupation to announce another investigation into the number of families living in the growing community. The residents fear that this could lead to their eviction.
For centuries, the indigenous peoples of Chile have struggled for their land. According to Sánchez, the challenges facing indigenous communities were exasperated by the 2010 earthquake.
“We saw things get worse after the earthquake,” said Sánchez. “There is a demand of more than 1,500 families for housing. We have yet to see a solution, so we are taking up our right to housing. We only want the government to be aware of the great necesity that there is for our people and with our recuperation.”
