In part of the Mapuche areas, namely the four provinces of Bío Bío, Arauco, Malleco and Cautín, the Chilean state declared a state of emergency on 12 October following the offensive of the struggle groups, which are multiplying land occupations and attacks on forestry interests. This has meant an increase in police roadblocks to prevent people from moving around and, above all, the occupation of the territory by armed forces who have come to reinforce the cops and carabinieri on the ground to protect the resource exploiters. Today, January 27, this state of emergency (called Estado de Excepción Constitucional) has just been renewed for the eighth consecutive time since October by the Parliament, setting its new expiry at February 24.
In an assessment of the first 100 days of this state of emergency at the beginning of January, President Piñera’s government boasted that nearly 56,700 checks on people and vehicles had been carried out in these two regions and 140 people had been imprisoned, resulting in a 44% drop in the number of “incidents of rural violence“. However, one cannot but notice that despite the heavy military occupation, the incendiary attacks, shootings and barricades against the cops have not at all stopped, officially going from 108 in the previous hundred days (July-September) to 89 since October. And even the arrival of the new left-wing leader, Gabriel Boric, who won the Chilean presidential election in December (he will take office on 11 March), has not changed the situation.
In a communique, the Coordinadora Arauco Malleco (CAM) stated that it was “neither with the extreme right nor with servile progressivism”, declaring that it refused the paternalism that intends to dictate to the Mapuche population how it should fight (i.e. renounce political violence), concluding “we respond to this new hippy, progressive and benevolent left that is now celebrating a social-democratic, or to be more precise, a centre-left government, that the Mapuche population has its own autonomous system“… before inviting the “Mapuche rebel population” to “continue resisting and claiming political violence as a legitimate instrument of our struggle, regardless of who governs and maintains the model of capitalist accumulation and its colonial scaffolding“.
For its part, another Mapuche struggle organisation, Resistencia Mapuche Lavkenche (RML), stated in one of its communiqués that “As long as the logging and aggregate companies continue to devastate our territory, the tourist companies continue to take advantage of our resources, and the jails in the south continue to be filled with Mapuche, the weichan [the struggle] will not stop. Neither with Piñera nor with Boric“.
And now, here’s a look at the attacks on forestry companies, churches, carabinero stations and tourist residences that took place in Mapuche territory during December 2021 and January 2022, despite the state of emergency…
Curacautín, 25 January 2022
Region of La Araucanía
On January 25 in the municipality of Curacautín, where Mapuche groups are demanding the return of colonial lands, a manor house and its extension belonging to the Comaco forestry company are set on fire at around 11pm on the exrecinto Focura estate.
Lautaro, 25 January
La Araucanía region
On January 25, in the municipality of Lautaro, an excavator and two containers were set on fire on the Quintrilpe estate of the San Alfonso wood aggregate company, owned by the family of the mayor of Cunco, Alfonso Coke. Arriving at around 7am, a small group of armed and hooded men first neutralised the security guard before spreading the fire. The containers burnt down in the middle of the forest were used as the company’s on-site office and the security guard’s accommodation. Claimed by the LNM(1)
On January 24, on the road linking the municipality of Lumaco to Ralun, the cabin of the excavator belonging to Gamefor, a subcontractor of the forestry company Mininco, went up in smoke. It had been stored the day before on the Capitán Pastene estate when it was found destroyed in the early hours of the morning. Leaflets related to the Mapuche struggle were found at the site.
Curarrehue, 10 January
La Araucanía region
On January 10 in the municipality of Curarrehue, the San Sebastián church built in 1953 was completely destroyed by fire at around 1am. The CCTV camera of a neighbouring building recorded the presence of an individual leaving the building just before, but was unable to identify them.
Traiguén, 3 January
La Araucanía region
On January 3 in the municipality of Traiguén, a destructive attack destroyed several peoperties of the Stappung settler family on their Santa Clara estate: two houses, warehouses, an office, a tractor and a truck were burnt down. Claimed by the MBF 2.
Quilaco, 1 January 2022
Biobío region
On January 1 2022 in the municipality of Quilaco in Rucalhue, a fire completely destroyed the only carabineros post at around 11pm. In an interview with 24Horas television, the mayor of Quilaco, Pablo Urrutia, linked this attack to the fight against hydroelectric projects in the region. This hydroelectric project in Rucalhue on the Biobío River was launched in 2018 by the company China International Water and Electric Corporation (CWE), a subsidiary of the Chinese state company CTG responsible for the construction of the Three Gorges Dam, which had already obtained the eviction of the occupants of the area concerned by the carabineros last July.
Tolten, 31 December 2021
Region of La Araucanía
On December 31 2021, on the road from Tolten to Pitrifuquén, an excavator, a truck, a front-end loader and a container belonging to a wood aggregate company went up in smoke in an attack. Claimed by WAM 3.
Empedrado (Maule), 30 December
Maule region
On the night of 30 December, in the vicinity of the municipality of Empedrado, a double attack took place which left three trucks of a forestry company in ashes in the La Aguada sector, and a little further on a sawmill which suffered the same fate in the La Higuera sector. In both attacks, leaflets without organisational names were found against local businessmen in the timber industry. One of them said: “This is what happens when they go to steal our land and laugh in our faces“.
Fresia, 24 December
Los Lagos region
On December 24 in the municipality of Fresia in the Collihuinco area, an attack occurred at around 6am. Several pieces of forestry equipment belonging to the company Forestal Anchile were destroyed: a chipper, three skidders, a harvester, a tanker, a container, a waste wagon and a pick-up truck. This attack surprised the authorities all the more as it is usually quieter, and therefore not under a state of emergency since 13 October, like other Mapuche areas. In the area, a leaflet without the name of an organisation called on the megaprojects to leave, and alluded to the assassination of a Mapuche comunero, Yorkan Llempi, on 3 November by an army marine gunner.
Contulmo, 22 December (top and bottom)
Biobío region
On December 21, in the municipality of Contulmo in the Lincuyín sector, a small mobile group travels along the shores of Lake Lanalhue for a few hours, while barricades of felled trees block the traffic. From 5am onwards, within a radius of ten kilometres, they razed to the ground no less than 31 tourist buildings, setting them on fire, starting with the bungalows of the Santa Elvira campsite and continuing with vacation homes. Claimed by RML4 will not stop. Not with Piñera and not with Boric”.]
La Araucanía region
On December 19, the day of the presidential elections, a group of people wearing balaclavas set fire to the residence of a latifundist in the Lastarria estate, located on the road to Lautaro in Curacautín.
Curanilahue, 14 December
Biobío region
On December 14 in the municipality of Curanilahue, between the forest estates of El Tesoro and Buena Esperanza belonging to the company Forestal Arauco, at least seven construction machines and six trucks went up in smoke in the middle of the day. The forestry company immediately sent a helicopter to help the carabinieri find the twenty or so assailants, but to no avail. Claimed by RML5 will not stop. Not with Piñera and not with Boric”.].
Los Ríos region
On December 13, in the municipality of Lanco, a double incendiary attack occurs on the agricultural estates of Rucahue and Quilche, located 500 metres apart. In the first, a tractor, a spreader, a van and a truck were destroyed, and in the second, the shed that housed fertilisers. Claimed by WAM 6.
Biobío region
On December 9 in the municipality of Lebu, in the Coihue-Yeneco forest estate of the company Forestal Arauco, a truck, four vans, seven construction machines, two catering carts and a lighting tower went up in smoke at around 8pm. The forestry company immediately sent a helicopter to help the carabinieri find the twenty or so assailants, but in vain. Claimed by RML7 will not stop. Not with Piñera and not with Boric”.].
La Araucanía region
On 7 December, in Lumaco, in the town of Capitán Pastene, a double act of sabotage and arson left a timber loader and a minibus in ruins on the one hand and three trucks in ashes on the other. All of them belonged to the logging contractor César Covili.
La Araucanía region
On 1 December in the municipality of Tolten on the Lumahue Norte estate, an attack left a number of pieces of construction equipment in ashes: a wood lathe, a transformer, an excavator, a roller and the container that served as the workers’ canteen. The equipment belonged to the subcontractor Forestal San Agustín of the large logging company Forestal Arauco. The workers were first neutralised by shooting in the air, then tied up and left on a road a little further away, before the whole thing went up in flames.
On the same day, this time in the municipality of Carahue in the locality of Trovolhue, three excavators from the company Agrifor were set ablaze. In both cases, a WAM leaflet was found on the spot.8
A banner found at the scene and signed by the group Liberación Nacional Mapuche (LNM) read “Freedom for Mapuche political prisoners / Matias Catrileo is present”. ↵
The attack was claimed by the group (ORT) Pablo Marchant of the Coordinadora Arauco Malleco (CAM): “With actions of resistance, we respond to Stappung, one of the most emblematic latifundists of the Nagche territory, a right-wing fascist, politician and ally of the logging companies who attacks our communities and our land”. The action was also carried out in homage to Matías Catrileo and Toño Marchant, who were murdered by the carabinieri in similar attacks. ↵
The banner found at the scene and signed by the group Weichán Auka Mapu (WAM, Struggle of the Rebel Territory), demanded, among other things, the release of the Mapuche Luis Tranamil, one of those incarcerated since March 2021 for the murder of the carabineros corporal Naín (October 2020), who was killed in an ambush after barricades had been erected on Route 5. ↵
On 22 December, the group Resistencia Mapuche Lavkenche (RML) claimed responsibility in a communiqué for four consecutive attacks from 24 November to that date. It said, among other things: “As long as logging and aggregate companies continue to devastate our territory, tourism companies continue to take advantage of our resources, and the jails in the south continue to be filled with Mapuche, the weichan [the struggle ↵
Lanco, 13 December
On 22 December, the group Resistencia Mapuche Lavkenche (RML) claimed responsibility in a communiqué for four consecutive attacks from 24 November to that date. It said, among other things: “As long as logging and aggregate companies continue to devastate our territory, tourism companies continue to take advantage of our resources, and the jails in the south continue to be filled with Mapuche, the weichan [the struggle ↵
Lebu, 9 December
The leaflet of the group Weichán Auka Mapu (WAM) found at the scene calls for freedom for Mapuche prisoners and those involved in the revolt, ending with “A dignified, rudimentary and rebellious struggle against the rich”. ↵
On 22 December, the group Resistencia Mapuche Lavkenche (RML) claimed responsibility in a communiqué for four consecutive attacks from 24 November to that date. It said, among other things: “As long as logging and aggregate companies continue to devastate our territory, tourism companies continue to take advantage of our resources, and the jails in the south continue to be filled with Mapuche, the weichan [the struggle ↵
The leaflets of the group Weichán Auka Mapu (WAM) found at the scene demanded the release of all imprisoned Mapuche and prisoners of the social revolt, adding in particular “Cops and carabinieri, dogs of capital” and “Get rid of the latifundistas, the forestry, hydroelectric, cement and dam companies”. ↵
In part of the Mapuche areas, namely the four provinces of Bío Bío, Arauco, Malleco and Cautín, the Chilean state declared a state of emergency on 12 October following the offensive of the struggle groups, which are multiplying land occupations and attacks on forestry interests. This has meant an increase in police roadblocks to prevent people from moving around and, above all, the occupation of the territory by armed forces who have come to reinforce the cops and carabinieri on the ground to protect the resource exploiters. Today, January 27, this state of emergency (called Estado de Excepción Constitucional) has just been renewed for the eighth consecutive time since October by the Parliament, setting its new expiry at February 24.
