January 30, 2008
Deal reached for jailed Chilean activist
Roberto Troncoso, Patricia's father, with backers of his daughter last
week at the hospital in Chillan.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mapuche30jan30,1,6203204.story
Patricia Troncoso, a champion of Indian rights, is to complete her
sentence for arson at a work camp, in a church-mediated accord.
By Claudia Lagos and Patrick J. McDonnell, Special to The Times
SANTIAGO, CHILE -- The Chilean government defended its decision Tuesday
to back a church-brokered agreement that ended a months-long hunger
strike by a jailed Indian-rights activist.
A top official in the office of President Michelle Bachelet said
Patricia Troncoso was not granted a pardon and would serve out her
10-year sentence -- albeit in a work camp and not in a prison, and with
weekend leaves.
"She obtained nothing more than the law permitted," Jose Antonio
Viera-Gallo, general secretary to the presidency, told a radio station
here.
Troncoso has served about half her sentence under anti-terrorism laws
for setting fire to a forestry plot -- a charge she denied. The arson
was one of many such attacks by Mapuche Indian militants against
corporate targets in a low-level conflict that has raised tensions in
southern Chile, the Mapuche ancestral homeland.
The hunger strike has focused attention on the plight of the Mapuche
minority. Activists say that despite Chile's economic growth, the
Indians have been left largely landless, impoverished and victims of
police repression.
The government rejected Troncoso's original demands, including the
release of Mapuche "political prisoners" and the "demilitarization" of
Mapuche zones.
Under the deal, Troncoso, who is not a Mapuche, will serve out the
remaining five years of her sentence in a police work camp and will be
allowed to go home on weekends. Two imprisoned Mapuche militants
received similar benefits as part of the pact worked out with the help
of a Roman Catholic bishop.
In addition, Bachelet named a new commissioner charged with finding
ways
to improve life for Chile's Indian minority. Census figures show that
less than 5% of the nation's residents describe themselves as
indigenous.
The deal immediately came under attack from the conservative opposition
to Bachelet, who heads the governing center-left coalition.
"You can't pretend the law applies in some parts of the country and not
in other parts," Sen. Jovino Novoa said here in the capital, calling
the
pact a reward for violence.
Troncoso, 38, ended her fast Monday, 111 days after she began taking
only liquids. She is being held at a hospital in the city of Chillan,
240 miles south of Santiago.
Last week, police doctors fearing for her life began providing her with
intravenous nutrients. Friends and her father described Troncoso as
weak
but lucid.
patrick.mcdonnell
@latimes.com
Special correspondent Lagos reported from Santiago and Times staff
writer McDonnell from Buenos Aires.
Mapuche International Solidarity Network
mapucheinternationalsolidarity@gmail.com
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
ENGLISH VERSION
New York, January 29, 2008
The protest on solidarity with our lamngen Patricia Troncoso and with the mapuche nation in general was done this morning in the city of New York at 10 am as programmed.
A group of activists gathered in solidarity with the mapuche political prisoners. The group started marching pacifically towards the Chilean Consulate of New York, outside of the building there was a big number of police contingent, including FBI and federal agents.
We weren’t allowed inside by the police contingent, so we protested outside. After negotiations with the federal agents, two of us escorted by the police were allowed into the consul’s office.
Once we were in the office, the support continued outside the building, while a document sign by several organizations and activists was given to the Chilean consul. The consul said he was warned by the secret agents of the US about the manifestation and that later in the week he heard of it from the Chilean newspaper “La Segunda”. Later on, after the activist spoke with him and told him about the situation affecting the mapuche, he signed an official document where he said he was going to send our demands to the Chilean Government.
The manifestation ended as it started, pacifically, but we announced that we will continue making events in peaceful means on solidarity to help break through the privatized media and spread the word about the problems affecting the mapuche nation. Even though Patricia Troncoso stopped the hunger strike, the militarization of mapuche communities still continues, the environmental degradation of the mapuche communities is still active, the utilization of the anti-terrorist law hasn’t ended against the mapuche, the persecution and assassination of mapuche activists continues (Marco Aurelio Treuer police who shot Alex Lemun in 2002 is still an active police) as there is no real will from the Chilean Government to negotiate from a perspective of nation to nation, and not with paternalistic and repressive politics.
Attached please find the document which was delivered to the Chilean Consul and pictures of the protest (to see more pictures visit our web site). During the next days we will put video recordings in our web site.
http://mapucheinternationalsolidaritynetwork.blogspot.com
We thank you for the diffusion.
Mapuche International Solidarity Network.
SPANISH VERSION
Nueva York, Enero 29 del 2008.
Comunicamos que la protesta en solidaridad con nuestra lamngen Patricia Troncoso y con el pueblo mapuche en general fue realiza esta mañana en la ciudad de Nueva York a eso de las 10 am.
Se reunió un grupo de activistas en solidaridad con los presos políticos mapuche, el cual comenzó a caminar de manera pacifica hacia el Consulado Chileno en Nueva York, fuera del cual esperaba una gran contingente policial, agentes del FBI y de las fuerzas especiales de la policía, los llamados “Swap Team”.
Se nos prohibió el ingreso al consulado por lo cual nos manifestamos en las afueras del recinto. Posteriormente y luego de negociaciones con los agentes federales, se permitió el ingreso de dos miembros al consulado, los cuales fueron escoltados por la policía hasta la oficina del cónsul.
Una vez ahí los manifestantes prosiguieron con la manifestación en la calle, mientras se hacia entrega de un documento en apoyo a los presos políticos mapuche firmado por diversas organizaciones e individuos de Nueva York. El cónsul relato que había sido advertido por los agentes de espionaje de Estados Unidos sobre la manifestación y que posteriormente había sido informado a través del periódico chileno La Segunda sobre la realización de la manifestación. Posteriormente y luego de comentarle la situación al cónsul, este procedió a firmar un documento oficial en el cual se comprometía a enviar nuestras demandas y documento al Gobierno Chileno.
La manifestación termino de forma pacifica, pero se anuncio que se seguirán haciendo eventos para difundir la problemática que afecta al pueblo mapuche, pues si bien nuestra lamngen Patricia Troncoso depuso la huelga de hambre, aún persiste la militarización del Wallmapu, aún no se deroga la ley antiterrorista y la persecución y asesinatos a activistas mapuche continúa vigente (Marcos Aurelio Treuer quien asesinara a Alex Lemun el 2002 continúa ejerciendo como policía) al no existir una respuesta efectiva por parte de las autoridades chilenas para negociar de nación a nación y no con políticas represivas y paternalistas.
Adjunto les enviamos el documento que se presentó al cónsul chileno, además de fotografías del evento (para ver más fotografías visiten nuestro sitio Web). En los próximos días pondremos videos en nuestro sitio Web para continuar difundiendo los hechos.
http://mapucheinternationalsolidaritynetwork.blogspot.com
Agradecemos la difusión.
Red de solidaridad internacional con el pueblo mapuche.
Mapuche International Solidarity Network
mapucheinternationalsolidarity@gmail.com
New York, January 29, 2008
The protest on solidarity with our lamngen Patricia Troncoso and with the mapuche nation in general was done this morning in the city of New York at 10 am as programmed.
A group of activists gathered in solidarity with the mapuche political prisoners. The group started marching pacifically towards the Chilean Consulate of New York, outside of the building there was a big number of police contingent, including FBI and federal agents.
We weren’t allowed inside by the police contingent, so we protested outside. After negotiations with the federal agents, two of us escorted by the police were allowed into the consul’s office.
Once we were in the office, the support continued outside the building, while a document sign by several organizations and activists was given to the Chilean consul. The consul said he was warned by the secret agents of the US about the manifestation and that later in the week he heard of it from the Chilean newspaper “La Segunda”. Later on, after the activist spoke with him and told him about the situation affecting the mapuche, he signed an official document where he said he was going to send our demands to the Chilean Government.
The manifestation ended as it started, pacifically, but we announced that we will continue making events in peaceful means on solidarity to help break through the privatized media and spread the word about the problems affecting the mapuche nation. Even though Patricia Troncoso stopped the hunger strike, the militarization of mapuche communities still continues, the environmental degradation of the mapuche communities is still active, the utilization of the anti-terrorist law hasn’t ended against the mapuche, the persecution and assassination of mapuche activists continues (Marco Aurelio Treuer police who shot Alex Lemun in 2002 is still an active police) as there is no real will from the Chilean Government to negotiate from a perspective of nation to nation, and not with paternalistic and repressive politics.
Attached please find the document which was delivered to the Chilean Consul and pictures of the protest (to see more pictures visit our web site). During the next days we will put video recordings in our web site.
http://mapucheinternationalsolidaritynetwork.blogspot.com
We thank you for the diffusion.
Mapuche International Solidarity Network.
SPANISH VERSION
Nueva York, Enero 29 del 2008.
Comunicamos que la protesta en solidaridad con nuestra lamngen Patricia Troncoso y con el pueblo mapuche en general fue realiza esta mañana en la ciudad de Nueva York a eso de las 10 am.
Se reunió un grupo de activistas en solidaridad con los presos políticos mapuche, el cual comenzó a caminar de manera pacifica hacia el Consulado Chileno en Nueva York, fuera del cual esperaba una gran contingente policial, agentes del FBI y de las fuerzas especiales de la policía, los llamados “Swap Team”.
Se nos prohibió el ingreso al consulado por lo cual nos manifestamos en las afueras del recinto. Posteriormente y luego de negociaciones con los agentes federales, se permitió el ingreso de dos miembros al consulado, los cuales fueron escoltados por la policía hasta la oficina del cónsul.
Una vez ahí los manifestantes prosiguieron con la manifestación en la calle, mientras se hacia entrega de un documento en apoyo a los presos políticos mapuche firmado por diversas organizaciones e individuos de Nueva York. El cónsul relato que había sido advertido por los agentes de espionaje de Estados Unidos sobre la manifestación y que posteriormente había sido informado a través del periódico chileno La Segunda sobre la realización de la manifestación. Posteriormente y luego de comentarle la situación al cónsul, este procedió a firmar un documento oficial en el cual se comprometía a enviar nuestras demandas y documento al Gobierno Chileno.
La manifestación termino de forma pacifica, pero se anuncio que se seguirán haciendo eventos para difundir la problemática que afecta al pueblo mapuche, pues si bien nuestra lamngen Patricia Troncoso depuso la huelga de hambre, aún persiste la militarización del Wallmapu, aún no se deroga la ley antiterrorista y la persecución y asesinatos a activistas mapuche continúa vigente (Marcos Aurelio Treuer quien asesinara a Alex Lemun el 2002 continúa ejerciendo como policía) al no existir una respuesta efectiva por parte de las autoridades chilenas para negociar de nación a nación y no con políticas represivas y paternalistas.
Adjunto les enviamos el documento que se presentó al cónsul chileno, además de fotografías del evento (para ver más fotografías visiten nuestro sitio Web). En los próximos días pondremos videos en nuestro sitio Web para continuar difundiendo los hechos.
http://mapucheinternationalsolidaritynetwork.blogspot.com
Agradecemos la difusión.
Red de solidaridad internacional con el pueblo mapuche.
Mapuche International Solidarity Network
mapucheinternationalsolidarity@gmail.com
ENGLISH VERSION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: RodStarz 646.250.4405
Confrontation in front of Chilean Consulate in support of convicted Chilean ‘terrorist’ Patricia Troncoso; protesters demand her release and acknowledgement by the Chilean government of Mapuche peoples ancestral rights.
Yesterday marked the end of a 110-day hunger strike by convicted Chilean ‘terrorist’ Patricia Troncoso, a well known pro-Mapuche rights activist. Until now, the Chilean government, led by President Michelle Bachelet, has virtually ignored Troncoso’s protest, responding with silence to her and the Mapuche natives’ demands.
Today, January 29, 2008, Hip Hop collective Rebel Diaz- along with community organizations La Pena Del Bronx, and the Mapuche Internacional Solidarity Network- are gathering at the Chilean Consulate to express our support for Patricia Troncoso and her struggle for Mapuche human rights. Although the Chilean government has finally agreed to negotiate with Ms. Troncoso, it is imperative they enter all dialogue ready to fulfill the demands of the Mapuche nation, who for hundreds of years have suffered political repression, militarization of ancestral lands, and increased economic marginalization at the hands of the Chilean and Argentinian governments.
As students, artists, activists, immigrants, and workers, we are delivering letters and gathering at the Chilean consulate to demand that Michelle Bachelet and the Chilean Governmentin fulfill the following demands set forth by Patricia Troncoso and the Mapuche Nation:
That the Chilean government repeal Anti-Terrorist laws enacted during the Pinochet regime, which serve as tools of political repression against Mapuche activists by restricting free speech and other forms of dissent. Free those Mapuche activists convicted under these unjust laws!
That the Chilean government demilitarize all Mapuche ancestral lands, and stop perpetuating genocidal policies against the Mapuche people through military and police brutality, murders, and other human rights violations.
That the Chilean government assume responsibility in solving the murders of pro Mapuche rights activists Alex Lemus and Matias Catrileo.
That the Chilean government make good on their historical debt to the Mapuche people by engaging in bilateral dialogue as one sovereign nation to another, not with repression and paternalism as they have in the past.
Statement from native Mapuche Danko Mariman who came from Boston to join the march today:
“The activism and resistance of the Mapuche people are not acts of terrorism. The real terrorism is the neoliberal economic model imposed by the Chilean governement since the Pinochet regime, which has allowed environmental devastation of Mapuche ancestral lands, displacement of Mapuche people in favor of foreign corporate interests, and non-acknowledgement of the sovereignty of the Mapuche people. In the spirit of true democracy and pluralism, we must demand that the Mapuche and other native peoples of the Americas be acknowledged as a soveriegn people and treated as such in inter-American nation-state dialogue.”
Statement from Rodstarz of the Hip Hop collective Rebel Diaz:
“Today we make a calling for solidarity with the Mapuche people amongst activists in the Unites States and across the world. The same neo-liberal economic policies that marginalize and displace our Mapuche brothers and sisters in Latin America also affect us as young people of color in New York City. Young gang members are convicted under federal Anti-Terrorism laws as opposed to be being rehabilitated and granted access to real life opportunities; families lose their homes in the Bronx as gentrification pushes rent and property tax sky high; police disproportionately target, harass, brutalize, and murder black and brown youth. As representatives of the Hip Hop generation, we support the Mapuche in their struggle for the human right to live and prosper as a sovereign people.”
This gathering is for Patricia Troncoso, our Mapuche brothers and sisters, for our land, and for our lives!
SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS
Mapuche International Solidarity Network
Hip-Hop collective Rebel Diaz
Movimiento La Pena del Bronx
Comité Permanente por Chile- Chicago
Colectivo Miguel Enriquez
Colectiveo Joaquin Murieta
Miristas Chilenos y Latino Americanos
Pueblo Afroamericano-Latino
Mapuche Internacional Solidarity Network
New York, NY 01/29/08 12:36am
CONTACT: Rodstarz 646.250.4405
SPANISH VERSION
PARA DEFUCION INMEDIATA
Contacto: Rodstarz 646.250.4405
Confrontación en frente del consulado Chileno en apoyo a la acusada de ‘terrorista’ Chilena Patricia Troncoso; manifestantes demandan su libertad y que el gobierno Chileno reconozca los derechos ancestrales del pueblo Mapuche.
Ayer marco el fin de una huelga de hambre de 110 días por parte de la acusada de ‘terrorista’ Patricia Troncoso, una activista por los derechos del pueblo Mapuche. Hasta ayer el gobierno Chileno, encabezada por la Presidenta Michelle Bachelet, ha ignorado la protesta de la Sra. Troncoso, respondiendo con silencio a las protestas y demandas de Patricia Troncoso y el pueblo Mapuche.
Hoy, 29 de Enero 2008, el colectivo hip hop Rebel Diaz, con las organizaciones comunitarias La Pena del Bronx, y la Red de Solidaridad Mapuche Internacional nos convocamos en el consulado Chileno para expresar apoyo a nuestra lamngen Patricia Troncoso y los derechos ancestrales del pueblo Mapuche. Aun que el gobierno Chileno ha aceptado negociar con la Sra. Troncoso, es imperativo que el gobierno entre ha estos diálogos listo para resolver las demandas del pueblo Mapuche, que por tantos años han sido reprimidos y marginados por el gobierno Chileno y Argentino.
Como estudiantes, artistas, activistas, inmigrantes, y trabajadores, llegamos al consulado para entregar cartas y demandar que la Presidenta Michelle Bachelet y el gobierno Chileno cede a las siguientes demandas de nuestra lamngen Patricia Troncoso:
1- Que se lleve acabo la derogación de la ley anti-terrorista a los mapuches acusados de terrorismo y que no se intenten salidas mediáticas que solo buscan que se siga cumpliendo la condena de una forma distinta.
2- Que el Gobierno Chileno desmilitarice el Wallmapu y no continué perpetuando políticas genocidas contra el Pueblo Mapuche con brutalidad policíaca, asesinatos, y otras violaciones de derechos humanos.
3- Que el Gobierno Chileno se haga responsable de hacer justicia por los asesinatos de Alex Lemun y Matías Catrileo.
4- Que el gobierno chileno se haga cargo de la deuda histórica con el pueblo mapuche y se haga atención al mal llamado conflicto mapuche a partir de una política de negociación de nación a nación y no con la represión, asistensialismo y paternalismo hasta ahora llevados.
Declaración de joven Mapuche Danko Mariman, quien vino desde Boston para la protesta hoy:
“La resistencia mapuche no es terrorismo. El real terrorismo es generado por las políticas neoliberales adoptadas por el Gobierno Chileno quienes contaminan el agua, erosionan la tierra, ensucian el aire y asesinan a mapuches quienes luchan por sus justas reivindicaciones, favoreciendo a los colonos europeos, latifundistas y corporaciones.
Demandamos que se genere una real apertura al pluralismo para ejercer una real democracia tanto con los medios comunicativos, como con la educación, reconocimiento y participación de los pueblos originarios de las Américas en la política de los estados-naciones americanos.”
Declaración de Rodstarz del colectivo Hip Hop Rebel Diaz:
“Hoy hacemos un llamado para solidaridad con el pueblo Mapuche por parte de activistas en EE.UU y por todo el mundo. Las mismas políticas neoliberales que marginan y desplazan a nuestros hermanos y hermanas Mapuche en el sur también nos afectan como jovenes afro-americanos y latinos aquí en Nueva York. A jóvenes pandilleros aquí en EEUU se les aplica la ley anti-terrorista pero no se les ofrece rehabilitación ni oportunidades reales para surgir; familias pierden sus casas en el Sur del Bronx porque sigue subiendo el arriendo y el precio de vivir; la policía brutaliza y asesina a jóvenes de color con impunidad... Como representantes de la cultura Hip Hop, apoyamos la lucha Mapuche por ejercer sus derechos humanos; su derecho de vivir, perpetuar y proyectar como pueblo en el futuro.”
Nos juntamos en frente del consulado por nuestros herman@s Mapuches, por nuestro territorio y por nuestras vidas!
Red de solidaridad mapuche internacional
Colectivo Hip Hop Rebel Diaz
Movimiento La Pena del Bronx
Comité Permanente por Chile- Chicago
Colectivo Miguel Enriquez
Colectiveo Joaquin Murieta
Miristas Chilenos y Latino Americanos
Pueblo Afroamericano-Latino
Red de solidaridad internacional con el pueblo mapuche.
Nueva York, NY 29/01/08 12:36am
CONTACTO: Rodstarz 646.250.4405
Mapuche International Solidarity Network
mapucheinternationalsolidarity@gmail.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: RodStarz 646.250.4405
Confrontation in front of Chilean Consulate in support of convicted Chilean ‘terrorist’ Patricia Troncoso; protesters demand her release and acknowledgement by the Chilean government of Mapuche peoples ancestral rights.
Yesterday marked the end of a 110-day hunger strike by convicted Chilean ‘terrorist’ Patricia Troncoso, a well known pro-Mapuche rights activist. Until now, the Chilean government, led by President Michelle Bachelet, has virtually ignored Troncoso’s protest, responding with silence to her and the Mapuche natives’ demands.
Today, January 29, 2008, Hip Hop collective Rebel Diaz- along with community organizations La Pena Del Bronx, and the Mapuche Internacional Solidarity Network- are gathering at the Chilean Consulate to express our support for Patricia Troncoso and her struggle for Mapuche human rights. Although the Chilean government has finally agreed to negotiate with Ms. Troncoso, it is imperative they enter all dialogue ready to fulfill the demands of the Mapuche nation, who for hundreds of years have suffered political repression, militarization of ancestral lands, and increased economic marginalization at the hands of the Chilean and Argentinian governments.
As students, artists, activists, immigrants, and workers, we are delivering letters and gathering at the Chilean consulate to demand that Michelle Bachelet and the Chilean Governmentin fulfill the following demands set forth by Patricia Troncoso and the Mapuche Nation:
That the Chilean government repeal Anti-Terrorist laws enacted during the Pinochet regime, which serve as tools of political repression against Mapuche activists by restricting free speech and other forms of dissent. Free those Mapuche activists convicted under these unjust laws!
That the Chilean government demilitarize all Mapuche ancestral lands, and stop perpetuating genocidal policies against the Mapuche people through military and police brutality, murders, and other human rights violations.
That the Chilean government assume responsibility in solving the murders of pro Mapuche rights activists Alex Lemus and Matias Catrileo.
That the Chilean government make good on their historical debt to the Mapuche people by engaging in bilateral dialogue as one sovereign nation to another, not with repression and paternalism as they have in the past.
Statement from native Mapuche Danko Mariman who came from Boston to join the march today:
“The activism and resistance of the Mapuche people are not acts of terrorism. The real terrorism is the neoliberal economic model imposed by the Chilean governement since the Pinochet regime, which has allowed environmental devastation of Mapuche ancestral lands, displacement of Mapuche people in favor of foreign corporate interests, and non-acknowledgement of the sovereignty of the Mapuche people. In the spirit of true democracy and pluralism, we must demand that the Mapuche and other native peoples of the Americas be acknowledged as a soveriegn people and treated as such in inter-American nation-state dialogue.”
Statement from Rodstarz of the Hip Hop collective Rebel Diaz:
“Today we make a calling for solidarity with the Mapuche people amongst activists in the Unites States and across the world. The same neo-liberal economic policies that marginalize and displace our Mapuche brothers and sisters in Latin America also affect us as young people of color in New York City. Young gang members are convicted under federal Anti-Terrorism laws as opposed to be being rehabilitated and granted access to real life opportunities; families lose their homes in the Bronx as gentrification pushes rent and property tax sky high; police disproportionately target, harass, brutalize, and murder black and brown youth. As representatives of the Hip Hop generation, we support the Mapuche in their struggle for the human right to live and prosper as a sovereign people.”
This gathering is for Patricia Troncoso, our Mapuche brothers and sisters, for our land, and for our lives!
SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS
Mapuche International Solidarity Network
Hip-Hop collective Rebel Diaz
Movimiento La Pena del Bronx
Comité Permanente por Chile- Chicago
Colectivo Miguel Enriquez
Colectiveo Joaquin Murieta
Miristas Chilenos y Latino Americanos
Pueblo Afroamericano-Latino
Mapuche Internacional Solidarity Network
New York, NY 01/29/08 12:36am
CONTACT: Rodstarz 646.250.4405
SPANISH VERSION
PARA DEFUCION INMEDIATA
Contacto: Rodstarz 646.250.4405
Confrontación en frente del consulado Chileno en apoyo a la acusada de ‘terrorista’ Chilena Patricia Troncoso; manifestantes demandan su libertad y que el gobierno Chileno reconozca los derechos ancestrales del pueblo Mapuche.
Ayer marco el fin de una huelga de hambre de 110 días por parte de la acusada de ‘terrorista’ Patricia Troncoso, una activista por los derechos del pueblo Mapuche. Hasta ayer el gobierno Chileno, encabezada por la Presidenta Michelle Bachelet, ha ignorado la protesta de la Sra. Troncoso, respondiendo con silencio a las protestas y demandas de Patricia Troncoso y el pueblo Mapuche.
Hoy, 29 de Enero 2008, el colectivo hip hop Rebel Diaz, con las organizaciones comunitarias La Pena del Bronx, y la Red de Solidaridad Mapuche Internacional nos convocamos en el consulado Chileno para expresar apoyo a nuestra lamngen Patricia Troncoso y los derechos ancestrales del pueblo Mapuche. Aun que el gobierno Chileno ha aceptado negociar con la Sra. Troncoso, es imperativo que el gobierno entre ha estos diálogos listo para resolver las demandas del pueblo Mapuche, que por tantos años han sido reprimidos y marginados por el gobierno Chileno y Argentino.
Como estudiantes, artistas, activistas, inmigrantes, y trabajadores, llegamos al consulado para entregar cartas y demandar que la Presidenta Michelle Bachelet y el gobierno Chileno cede a las siguientes demandas de nuestra lamngen Patricia Troncoso:
1- Que se lleve acabo la derogación de la ley anti-terrorista a los mapuches acusados de terrorismo y que no se intenten salidas mediáticas que solo buscan que se siga cumpliendo la condena de una forma distinta.
2- Que el Gobierno Chileno desmilitarice el Wallmapu y no continué perpetuando políticas genocidas contra el Pueblo Mapuche con brutalidad policíaca, asesinatos, y otras violaciones de derechos humanos.
3- Que el Gobierno Chileno se haga responsable de hacer justicia por los asesinatos de Alex Lemun y Matías Catrileo.
4- Que el gobierno chileno se haga cargo de la deuda histórica con el pueblo mapuche y se haga atención al mal llamado conflicto mapuche a partir de una política de negociación de nación a nación y no con la represión, asistensialismo y paternalismo hasta ahora llevados.
Declaración de joven Mapuche Danko Mariman, quien vino desde Boston para la protesta hoy:
“La resistencia mapuche no es terrorismo. El real terrorismo es generado por las políticas neoliberales adoptadas por el Gobierno Chileno quienes contaminan el agua, erosionan la tierra, ensucian el aire y asesinan a mapuches quienes luchan por sus justas reivindicaciones, favoreciendo a los colonos europeos, latifundistas y corporaciones.
Demandamos que se genere una real apertura al pluralismo para ejercer una real democracia tanto con los medios comunicativos, como con la educación, reconocimiento y participación de los pueblos originarios de las Américas en la política de los estados-naciones americanos.”
Declaración de Rodstarz del colectivo Hip Hop Rebel Diaz:
“Hoy hacemos un llamado para solidaridad con el pueblo Mapuche por parte de activistas en EE.UU y por todo el mundo. Las mismas políticas neoliberales que marginan y desplazan a nuestros hermanos y hermanas Mapuche en el sur también nos afectan como jovenes afro-americanos y latinos aquí en Nueva York. A jóvenes pandilleros aquí en EEUU se les aplica la ley anti-terrorista pero no se les ofrece rehabilitación ni oportunidades reales para surgir; familias pierden sus casas en el Sur del Bronx porque sigue subiendo el arriendo y el precio de vivir; la policía brutaliza y asesina a jóvenes de color con impunidad... Como representantes de la cultura Hip Hop, apoyamos la lucha Mapuche por ejercer sus derechos humanos; su derecho de vivir, perpetuar y proyectar como pueblo en el futuro.”
Nos juntamos en frente del consulado por nuestros herman@s Mapuches, por nuestro territorio y por nuestras vidas!
Red de solidaridad mapuche internacional
Colectivo Hip Hop Rebel Diaz
Movimiento La Pena del Bronx
Comité Permanente por Chile- Chicago
Colectivo Miguel Enriquez
Colectiveo Joaquin Murieta
Miristas Chilenos y Latino Americanos
Pueblo Afroamericano-Latino
Red de solidaridad internacional con el pueblo mapuche.
Nueva York, NY 29/01/08 12:36am
CONTACTO: Rodstarz 646.250.4405
Mapuche International Solidarity Network
mapucheinternationalsolidarity@gmail.com
Rights activist ends 110-day hunger strike
http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_8105331
SANTIAGO, Chile — An indigenous-rights activist jailed for setting
fire
to a farm once owned by Mapuche Indians ended a 110-day hunger strike
Monday, government officials said.
Patricia Troncoso ended her fast after Chilean officials agreed to
transfer her to a rural prison and allow home leave on weekends,
benefits often granted for good behavior.
Troncoso, 37, has led the fight in Chile for indigenous land rights. In
2005, she was sentenced with four others to 10 years in prison for
setting fire to a farm in southern Chile. Two of her four cohorts
received the same concessions she did Monday.
Mapuche International Solidarity Network
mapucheinternationalsolidarity@gmail.com
http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_8105331
SANTIAGO, Chile — An indigenous-rights activist jailed for setting
fire
to a farm once owned by Mapuche Indians ended a 110-day hunger strike
Monday, government officials said.
Patricia Troncoso ended her fast after Chilean officials agreed to
transfer her to a rural prison and allow home leave on weekends,
benefits often granted for good behavior.
Troncoso, 37, has led the fight in Chile for indigenous land rights. In
2005, she was sentenced with four others to 10 years in prison for
setting fire to a farm in southern Chile. Two of her four cohorts
received the same concessions she did Monday.
Mapuche International Solidarity Network
mapucheinternationalsolidarity@gmail.com
Monday, January 28, 2008
If you would like to send your word in support to the mapuche nation, you can do it by sending e-mails directly to the president here:
http://www.gobiernodechile.cl/contacto/contacto.asp
Then click where it says ESCRIBALE A LA PRESIDENTA
Mapuche International Solidarity Network
mapucheinternationalsolidarity@gmail.com
http://www.gobiernodechile.cl/contacto/contacto.asp
Then click where it says ESCRIBALE A LA PRESIDENTA
Mapuche International Solidarity Network
mapucheinternationalsolidarity@gmail.com
THE HUNGER STRIKE HAS BEEN DEPOSED
THE HUNGER STRIKE HAS BEEN DEPOSED AS AGREEMENTS FROM BOTH PARTS CAME TOGETHER.
The Chilean government presented a new proposal which was accepted by Patricia Troncoso today January 28th.
Patricia is being moved urgently towards Temuko, place where she can get the proper attention she needs.
new in progress...
http://www.mapuexpress.net
Information in Spanish:
Gobierno le habría presentado a Patricia nueva propuesta en el día de Hoy la que habría finalmente aceptado, según anunció recientemente la Iglesia.
Patricia sería trasladada para su urgente recuperación a la ciudad de Temuco.
Noticia en desarrollo
http://www.mapuexpress.net
Mapuche International Solidarity Network
mapucheinternationalsolidarity@gmail.com
The Chilean government presented a new proposal which was accepted by Patricia Troncoso today January 28th.
Patricia is being moved urgently towards Temuko, place where she can get the proper attention she needs.
new in progress...
http://www.mapuexpress.net
Information in Spanish:
Gobierno le habría presentado a Patricia nueva propuesta en el día de Hoy la que habría finalmente aceptado, según anunció recientemente la Iglesia.
Patricia sería trasladada para su urgente recuperación a la ciudad de Temuco.
Noticia en desarrollo
http://www.mapuexpress.net
Mapuche International Solidarity Network
mapucheinternationalsolidarity@gmail.com
Chile hunger strike puts focus on Indians' plight
Diario Austral de La Araucania
Patricia Troncoso, serving time for allegedly setting fire to a forest
plot, is moved to a hospital in Chillan. “Pinochet for us has not ended,”
she said, accusing police of persecution.
Jailed activist Patricia Troncoso has had no solid food for 100-plus days,
and is seeking release of Mapuche prisoners and return of ancestral lands.
By Patrick J. McDonnell,
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-fg-mapuche28jan28,1,4322267.story
January 28, 2008
CHILLAN, CHILE -- The case of a jailed indigenous-rights activist who has
been on a hunger strike for more than 100 days has galvanized support for
restive Mapuche Indians seeking the release of prisoners and recovery of
ancestral lands in central Chile.
Mapuche activists and their allies have converged on this town in the
Andean foothills, where Patricia Troncoso is being held in a hospital.
Authorities intervened against the prisoner's will last week and provided
Troncoso with intravenous nutrition to prevent her from dying.
Her plight has drawn renewed attention to charges that Chile's much-lauded
economic growth has not lifted the Indian minority, which is largely
landless, disenfranchised and the victim of police repression. Supporters
have staged demonstrations in the capital, Santiago, about 230 miles
north, and other cities and have circulated petitions.
"Don't lose hope," Troncoso, 38, urged in a letter read on Thursday, the
107th day of her hunger strike.
Troncoso is calling for authorities to release her and imprisoned Mapuche
activists, whom she calls "political prisoners." She also wants the
withdrawal of a heavy police presence from traditional Mapuche zones in
Chile.
The Mapuche militants are incarcerated mostly for arson strikes against
land and trucks belonging to forestry and agribusiness interests. Mapuche
leaders say much of the territory was stolen and should be returned to
them. Troncoso has served about half of a 10-year sentence for setting
fire to a forestry plot -- a charge she denies.
Sympathizers have called on the center-left government of President
Michelle Bachelet, who was a political prisoner under the Pinochet
dictatorship, to help resolve the hunger-strike impasse. Deputy Interior
Minister Felipe Harboe expressed sympathy for the Mapuches, while
condemning violence.
"I defend the Mapuche community," Harboe told reporters in Santiago. "But
there is a minority that perpetrates acts of violence and stigmatizes the
entire community."
The dispute has raised tensions in the region and resulted in periodic
confrontations.
On Jan. 3, police shot and killed a Mapuche activist, Matias Catrileo, 22,
an agronomy student, as he and others allegedly trespassed on a farming
estate.
Three days later, authorities said, shots were fired at a car carrying a
hydroelectric executive in Santiago. No one was injured, but officials
suspect the shooting may be linked to Mapuche objections to hydroelectric
projects.
Human rights groups have assailed the prosecution of Troncoso and others
under anti-terrorism laws dating to the former dictatorship of Augusto
Pinochet.
"What these activists have done may represent crimes under the penal code,
but certainly could not be characterized as acts of terrorism," said Jose
Miguel Vivanco, who heads the Americas division of Human Rights Watch.
In her statement last week, Troncoso declared, "Pinochet for us has not
ended," and cited police checkpoints and other alleged acts of repression.
"We keep experiencing him in the country roads, in the house searches, in
the persecution, jailing, torture and death."
The case has resonated here and elsewhere in Latin America, where
indigenous issues have taken on a higher profile, especially since the
election in 2005 of Evo Morales as Bolivia's first Indian president.
But Chile has a much smaller indigenous population than neighbors Bolivia
and Peru.
Mapuche Indians in Chile number 600,000, about 4% of the country's
population of more than 15 million, according to census figures.
Studies have shown many Mapuches feel discriminated against in a nation
long dominated by lighter-skinned Chileans of mixed-race and European
origins.
Troncoso, known as La Chepa, is not a Mapuche and was raised in a
middle-class family in Santiago. She gravitated to the Indian cause while
studying theology at university, said her father, Roberto Troncoso.
"La Chepa is Mapuche in her heart," said Juan Pichun, a Mapuche leader who
is among the many holding vigil outside her hospital.
Supporters have set up tents at the hospital gates and strung up cardboard
signs denouncing Chilean officials as "murderers." Sympathizers include
many students, left-wing activists and environmental advocates who cite a
legacy of ecological ruin on former Mapuche lands.
Last week , doctors acted to prevent Troncoso from developing potentially
fatal kidney damage, said Dr. Gaston Rodriguez, the police physician who
is overseeing her care. Her vital signs have improved since she began
receiving an intravenous mixture of vitamins and other nutrients, he said.
Troncoso had to be restrained with straps, Rodriguez said. The restraining
procedure resulted in bruises on parts of her body, her friends said.
"Her body is full of marks," said Valentina Peralta, a friend who visited
Troncoso in the hospital. She described the prisoner as "physically
depleted" but lucid, tranquil and determined to continue to refuse solid
foods.
Troncoso has lost more than 50 pounds as her only intake has been liquids
such as water, juice and mate tea, sometimes with sugar. Doctors say
Troncoso has survived in part because when she launched her fast Oct. 10,
she was in robust physical shape, weighing about 185 pounds.
"My daughter has promised me she will live," said Roberto Troncoso.
"I want her to come home alive, not in a coffin."
patrick.mcdonnell
@latimes.com
Special correspondent Claudia Lagos in Santiago and Andrés D'Alessandro of
The Times' Buenos Aires Bureau contributed to this report.
Mapuche International Solidarity Network
mapucheinternationalsolidarity@gmail.com
Diario Austral de La Araucania
Patricia Troncoso, serving time for allegedly setting fire to a forest
plot, is moved to a hospital in Chillan. “Pinochet for us has not ended,”
she said, accusing police of persecution.
Jailed activist Patricia Troncoso has had no solid food for 100-plus days,
and is seeking release of Mapuche prisoners and return of ancestral lands.
By Patrick J. McDonnell,
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-fg-mapuche28jan28,1,4322267.story
January 28, 2008
CHILLAN, CHILE -- The case of a jailed indigenous-rights activist who has
been on a hunger strike for more than 100 days has galvanized support for
restive Mapuche Indians seeking the release of prisoners and recovery of
ancestral lands in central Chile.
Mapuche activists and their allies have converged on this town in the
Andean foothills, where Patricia Troncoso is being held in a hospital.
Authorities intervened against the prisoner's will last week and provided
Troncoso with intravenous nutrition to prevent her from dying.
Her plight has drawn renewed attention to charges that Chile's much-lauded
economic growth has not lifted the Indian minority, which is largely
landless, disenfranchised and the victim of police repression. Supporters
have staged demonstrations in the capital, Santiago, about 230 miles
north, and other cities and have circulated petitions.
"Don't lose hope," Troncoso, 38, urged in a letter read on Thursday, the
107th day of her hunger strike.
Troncoso is calling for authorities to release her and imprisoned Mapuche
activists, whom she calls "political prisoners." She also wants the
withdrawal of a heavy police presence from traditional Mapuche zones in
Chile.
The Mapuche militants are incarcerated mostly for arson strikes against
land and trucks belonging to forestry and agribusiness interests. Mapuche
leaders say much of the territory was stolen and should be returned to
them. Troncoso has served about half of a 10-year sentence for setting
fire to a forestry plot -- a charge she denies.
Sympathizers have called on the center-left government of President
Michelle Bachelet, who was a political prisoner under the Pinochet
dictatorship, to help resolve the hunger-strike impasse. Deputy Interior
Minister Felipe Harboe expressed sympathy for the Mapuches, while
condemning violence.
"I defend the Mapuche community," Harboe told reporters in Santiago. "But
there is a minority that perpetrates acts of violence and stigmatizes the
entire community."
The dispute has raised tensions in the region and resulted in periodic
confrontations.
On Jan. 3, police shot and killed a Mapuche activist, Matias Catrileo, 22,
an agronomy student, as he and others allegedly trespassed on a farming
estate.
Three days later, authorities said, shots were fired at a car carrying a
hydroelectric executive in Santiago. No one was injured, but officials
suspect the shooting may be linked to Mapuche objections to hydroelectric
projects.
Human rights groups have assailed the prosecution of Troncoso and others
under anti-terrorism laws dating to the former dictatorship of Augusto
Pinochet.
"What these activists have done may represent crimes under the penal code,
but certainly could not be characterized as acts of terrorism," said Jose
Miguel Vivanco, who heads the Americas division of Human Rights Watch.
In her statement last week, Troncoso declared, "Pinochet for us has not
ended," and cited police checkpoints and other alleged acts of repression.
"We keep experiencing him in the country roads, in the house searches, in
the persecution, jailing, torture and death."
The case has resonated here and elsewhere in Latin America, where
indigenous issues have taken on a higher profile, especially since the
election in 2005 of Evo Morales as Bolivia's first Indian president.
But Chile has a much smaller indigenous population than neighbors Bolivia
and Peru.
Mapuche Indians in Chile number 600,000, about 4% of the country's
population of more than 15 million, according to census figures.
Studies have shown many Mapuches feel discriminated against in a nation
long dominated by lighter-skinned Chileans of mixed-race and European
origins.
Troncoso, known as La Chepa, is not a Mapuche and was raised in a
middle-class family in Santiago. She gravitated to the Indian cause while
studying theology at university, said her father, Roberto Troncoso.
"La Chepa is Mapuche in her heart," said Juan Pichun, a Mapuche leader who
is among the many holding vigil outside her hospital.
Supporters have set up tents at the hospital gates and strung up cardboard
signs denouncing Chilean officials as "murderers." Sympathizers include
many students, left-wing activists and environmental advocates who cite a
legacy of ecological ruin on former Mapuche lands.
Last week , doctors acted to prevent Troncoso from developing potentially
fatal kidney damage, said Dr. Gaston Rodriguez, the police physician who
is overseeing her care. Her vital signs have improved since she began
receiving an intravenous mixture of vitamins and other nutrients, he said.
Troncoso had to be restrained with straps, Rodriguez said. The restraining
procedure resulted in bruises on parts of her body, her friends said.
"Her body is full of marks," said Valentina Peralta, a friend who visited
Troncoso in the hospital. She described the prisoner as "physically
depleted" but lucid, tranquil and determined to continue to refuse solid
foods.
Troncoso has lost more than 50 pounds as her only intake has been liquids
such as water, juice and mate tea, sometimes with sugar. Doctors say
Troncoso has survived in part because when she launched her fast Oct. 10,
she was in robust physical shape, weighing about 185 pounds.
"My daughter has promised me she will live," said Roberto Troncoso.
"I want her to come home alive, not in a coffin."
patrick.mcdonnell
@latimes.com
Special correspondent Claudia Lagos in Santiago and Andrés D'Alessandro of
The Times' Buenos Aires Bureau contributed to this report.
Mapuche International Solidarity Network
mapucheinternationalsolidarity@gmail.com
Sunday, January 27, 2008
ACTION
Tuesday Jan. 29th, 2008 10am
For 500 years , The Mapuche have resisted the colonial oppressors. Whether, Spain or Argentina or Chile the history of this proud nation has been one of resistance and struggle.
Under Pinochet, the Chilean government enacted terrorism laws against some forms of dissent and protest.
Much like our incarcerated freedom fighters here in the United States, the Mapuche have fallen victim to these laws, laws similar to the current "Anti -Terror" initiatives being practiced and implemented here.
Political Prisoner Patricia Troncoso has been on a hunger strike for 105 days in protest of her incarceration and of these "anti-terror" laws.
REMEMBER MATIAS CATRILEO!!!
YOUNG MAPUCHE ACTIVIST MURDERED BY THE CHILEAN POLICE...
SUPPORT PATRICIA TRONCOSO AND FREE THE MAPUCHE POLITICAL PRISONERS!!!
JOIN US!
SUPPORT THE MAPUCHE STRUGGLE IN CHILE!!!
Tuesday, January 29th, 2007...10am
CHILEAN CONSULATE: PROTEST @ 10AM TUESDAY , JANUARY 29TH
866 UNITED NATIONS PLAZA, SUITE 601, NEW YORK, NY 10017.
Primera Avenida (1° Avenue) esquina East 48th. Street
(Hay una sucursal del Citibank en el primer piso del edificio).
We will assemble and have a press conference addressing the Chilean government and the treatment of the Mapuche Nation.
We will deliver letters in support of the Mapuche Nation and in critique of the Bachelet government.
NO!! TO THE CHARGES OF TERRORISM ON MAPUCHE FREEDOM FIGHTERS!!
FREEDOM FOR THE MAPUCHE POLITICAL PRISONERS!!
Mapuche International Solidarity Network
mapucheinternationalsolidarity@gmail.com
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Mapuche: Bachelet Urged to Heed Hunger Striker
Chile’s National Assembly for Human Rights led a protest on the situation of fasting Mapuche prisoner Patricia Troncoso.
Below is an article written by Alex Cacciari published by The Santiago Times:
Chile’s National Assembly for Human Rights led a protest Tuesday [22-01-2008] morning outside La Moneda Presidential Palace demanding that President Michelle Bachelet address the situation of fasting Mapuche prisoner Patricia Troncoso. The demonstration came on the heels of an open letter presented to Bachelet on Monday [21-07-2008] by Amnesty International, also demanding attention to Troncoso's case.
Prison guards decided Monday [21-07-2008] to sedate and administer intravenous feeding to Troncoso without her consent, a move that human rights groups decried as a violation of her rights. Troncoso has been fasting more than 100 days to protest a stiff arson conviction she received in 2002 under Pinochet-era terrorism laws. She has repeatedly denied intravenous feeding and stated that if she must die, she will..... Read more...
http://www.unpo.org/article.php?id=7504
Mapuche International Solidarity Network
mapucheinternationalsolidarity@gmail.com
Below is an article written by Alex Cacciari published by The Santiago Times:
Chile’s National Assembly for Human Rights led a protest Tuesday [22-01-2008] morning outside La Moneda Presidential Palace demanding that President Michelle Bachelet address the situation of fasting Mapuche prisoner Patricia Troncoso. The demonstration came on the heels of an open letter presented to Bachelet on Monday [21-07-2008] by Amnesty International, also demanding attention to Troncoso's case.
Prison guards decided Monday [21-07-2008] to sedate and administer intravenous feeding to Troncoso without her consent, a move that human rights groups decried as a violation of her rights. Troncoso has been fasting more than 100 days to protest a stiff arson conviction she received in 2002 under Pinochet-era terrorism laws. She has repeatedly denied intravenous feeding and stated that if she must die, she will..... Read more...
http://www.unpo.org/article.php?id=7504
Mapuche International Solidarity Network
mapucheinternationalsolidarity@gmail.com
On the brink of death for the Mapuche
by Alejandro Pintamalli
26-01-2008
The hunger strike by Chilean human rights activist Patricia Troncoso is attracting more and more attention. For over 100 days she has been refusing food in solidarity with the plight of Chile's Mapuche Indians. Ms Troncoso is currently in a hospital in the southern city of Chillán, where she awaits a response to her demands from Chilean President Michelle Bachelet.
Through her campaign, Patricia Troncoso hopes to secure the release of a dozen Mapuche Indians who have been behind bars since 2001. They were convicted of burning down 100 hectares of forest but have always maintained their innocence.
They and Ms Troncoso were convicted under an anti-terrorism law brought in under the Pinochet regime. This legislation allows exceptional procedures and generally results in sentences which are three times longer than those normally imposed.
FightPatricia Troncoso is not Mapuche herself but, as a human rights activist, she supports their fight to recover the land that was taken from them. Through her hunger strike, Ms Troncoso is also protesting at the inhumane conditions in which the Mapuche prisoners are being held in a jail in Araucanía, 400 kilometres south of the capital Santiago.
Patricia Troncoso's health is failing dramatically. Her doctors say she is suffering from cardiac arrhythmia and that the damage to her system could soon be irreversible. Since she began her hunger strike on 10 October last year, she has lost 25 kilos.
"Ms Troncoso is extremely weak", explains Sergio Laurenti of Amnesty International in Chile. "We have heard that she is now being force-fed through a tube. This is being done against her will and she is being restrained in her bed. It is a cruel, inhumane treatment that effectively amounts to torture."
Initially all of the Mapuche Indians in the prison took part in the hunger strike, but poor health forced the others to give up.
SupportIn the past few days, messages of support for Patricia Troncoso's protest and the demands of the Mapuche have been pouring in from inside and outside Chile. Human rights organisations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have already called for the prisoners' cases to be reviewed. AAccording to Sergio Laurenti of Amnesty International, the application of this law to the Mapuche is completely unjustified. He believes the only solution is to turn to international legal authorities, since Chilean law does not allow for any appeal against the sentence.
International contextRafael Reilaf, chairman of Folil, an organisation in the Netherlands that represents the interests of the Mapuche, shares this belief that the only way forward is to raise the issue in an international context, because Chile's president has not responded to the Mapuche's demands. Reilaf: "Within Chile, we cannot achieve much: Bachelet and the Chilean government will not listen to the Mapuche. There is no real prospect of the anti-terrorism law being changed. So we will have to think of something else. We will have to tackle this issue outside of Chile."
After 77 days on hunger strike, Patricia Troncoso sent another emotional message to the outside world. "They want us to die in silence. Chile has a long and traumatic history of human rights violations. I cannot believe that a democratically elected government such as this one is using the same methods against a defenceless people."
* RNW translation (dd)
http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/080126-mapuches-chile-mc
Mapuche International Solidarity Network
mapucheinternationalsolidarity@gmail.com
26-01-2008
The hunger strike by Chilean human rights activist Patricia Troncoso is attracting more and more attention. For over 100 days she has been refusing food in solidarity with the plight of Chile's Mapuche Indians. Ms Troncoso is currently in a hospital in the southern city of Chillán, where she awaits a response to her demands from Chilean President Michelle Bachelet.
Through her campaign, Patricia Troncoso hopes to secure the release of a dozen Mapuche Indians who have been behind bars since 2001. They were convicted of burning down 100 hectares of forest but have always maintained their innocence.
They and Ms Troncoso were convicted under an anti-terrorism law brought in under the Pinochet regime. This legislation allows exceptional procedures and generally results in sentences which are three times longer than those normally imposed.
FightPatricia Troncoso is not Mapuche herself but, as a human rights activist, she supports their fight to recover the land that was taken from them. Through her hunger strike, Ms Troncoso is also protesting at the inhumane conditions in which the Mapuche prisoners are being held in a jail in Araucanía, 400 kilometres south of the capital Santiago.
Patricia Troncoso's health is failing dramatically. Her doctors say she is suffering from cardiac arrhythmia and that the damage to her system could soon be irreversible. Since she began her hunger strike on 10 October last year, she has lost 25 kilos.
"Ms Troncoso is extremely weak", explains Sergio Laurenti of Amnesty International in Chile. "We have heard that she is now being force-fed through a tube. This is being done against her will and she is being restrained in her bed. It is a cruel, inhumane treatment that effectively amounts to torture."
Initially all of the Mapuche Indians in the prison took part in the hunger strike, but poor health forced the others to give up.
SupportIn the past few days, messages of support for Patricia Troncoso's protest and the demands of the Mapuche have been pouring in from inside and outside Chile. Human rights organisations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have already called for the prisoners' cases to be reviewed. AAccording to Sergio Laurenti of Amnesty International, the application of this law to the Mapuche is completely unjustified. He believes the only solution is to turn to international legal authorities, since Chilean law does not allow for any appeal against the sentence.
International contextRafael Reilaf, chairman of Folil, an organisation in the Netherlands that represents the interests of the Mapuche, shares this belief that the only way forward is to raise the issue in an international context, because Chile's president has not responded to the Mapuche's demands. Reilaf: "Within Chile, we cannot achieve much: Bachelet and the Chilean government will not listen to the Mapuche. There is no real prospect of the anti-terrorism law being changed. So we will have to think of something else. We will have to tackle this issue outside of Chile."
After 77 days on hunger strike, Patricia Troncoso sent another emotional message to the outside world. "They want us to die in silence. Chile has a long and traumatic history of human rights violations. I cannot believe that a democratically elected government such as this one is using the same methods against a defenceless people."
* RNW translation (dd)
http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/080126-mapuches-chile-mc
Mapuche International Solidarity Network
mapucheinternationalsolidarity@gmail.com
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