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A fiery July in the Mapuche territories
On July 9, 2021 in Carahue (Chile), Pablo Marchant Gutiérrez was assassinated during an attack against vehicles of the company Forestal Mininco, subsidiary of the cellulose giant CMPC. The 29-year-old former anthropology student, who later joined the Mapuche struggle through CAM (Coordinadora Arauco Malleco), was participating in the burning of a minibus, a skidder and a tanker at around 5pm on the Santa Ana-Tres Palos estate, when he was shot in the head at close range by carabinieri charged with protecting the interests of the loggers. Following this police assassination, the whole Mapuche area was set ablaze for many weeks.
Today, one year after the death of Pablo Marchant, how do we think that comrades who fell during the struggle can be commemorated? By organizing marches where we sit with dignity on the ground in a stony silence? By organizing unitary demonstrations to wave their big flags in the wind between two conferences, while making sure that nothing can boil over, in the name of “dignity” and “memory”, of course? Or by multiplying dispersed attacks in order to continue the struggle, thus continuing to make their ideas live within it? In any case, this is what the decentralized groups of the CAM, called Territorial Resistance Organizations (ORT*), but also other Mapuche struggle groups and anonymous people, have chosen, with a multiplication of forest interests destroyed around this anniversary in different areas of the region.
A brief chronological overview of these recent attacks in Mapuche territory (La Araucanía, Los Ríos and Bío Bío regions) …
Cañete, July 2, 2022. The four vacation cottages of the former head of the criminal police of the area go up in smoke
Region of Bío Bío
On Saturday, July 2, around 9 pm in the municipality of Cañete, a small group walked in the night (it is winter in Chile) and headed straight to their objective: four wooden cottages located near the lake Lanalhue, in the sector of La Vaina. They set fire to them before disappearing, leaving only ashes behind them. These four vacation cabins are not just any cabins, since their owner is none other than Carlos Sanhueza, a retired prefect of the criminal police (PDI), and recycled in the private sector as a security manager for several forestry companies in the region. On the spot, the cops will find a banner, on which was written: “Rich and foresters clear of the Mapuche territory”, demanding in particular the freedom for all the Mapuche prisoners.
Carahue, July 3, 2022. The tractor and one of the burned trucks of the Forestal Mininco
Region of La Araucanía
On the night of Sunday to Monday, July 3, in the municipality of Carahue on the estates of La Liebre and San Guillermo, 4 trucks, 8 machines and 3 portacabins were burned. They were operated on behalf of the company Forestal Mininco, and nearly 30 armed individuals participated in this attack, according to the press. The attack was carried out by the ORT Pablo Marchant (CAM), which had to confront the special forces that were guarding the site.
Traiguén road in Lumaco, July 6. The latifundist Cortessi loses his car
Region of La Araucanía
On Wednesday morning, July 6, on the road from Traiguén to Lumaco, on the El Coigüe estate of a forestry company, 1 warehouse and 3 vehicles belonging to the businessman and latifundist Cortessi were burned. According to the press, the warehouse, which was doused with gasoline, did not go up in smoke following the exchange of fire between the five assailants and the owner, who was not able to save his cars. Claimed by the ORT Mangil Wenu (CAM).
Collipulli, July 6, 2022. Fire to the trucks of the forest industry!
Region of La Araucanía
On Wednesday morning, July 6th, 10 kilometers from the town of Collipulli, on the estate La Granja, 5 trucks of a forestry company were set on fire after the drivers were taken down. According to the press, the ten or so armed individuals managed to flee despite the carabinieri roadblocks that were quickly set up in the area, which were first greeted by gunfire.
Máfil, July 7, 2022. Trucks and forestry machines did not last the night.
Region of Los Ríos
On the night of Thursday, July 7 in the municipality of Máfil, on the Santa Loreto estate of a forestry company, 2 trucks, 6 machines, 2 portacabins and 1 van were set on fire. Claimed by the ORT Kallfulikan (CAM).
Lumaco, July 8, 2022. Truck of Forestal Mininco completely burned.
Region of La Araucanía
In the early morning hours of Friday, July 8, on the road from Traiguén to Lumaco, at the San Alonso estate of the company Forestal Mininco, the driver of a logging truck was stopped by a group of five armed people, who forced him to get out of the truck, before setting it on fire. Claimed by the ORT Pelontraru (CAM).
Chol Chol, July 8, 2022. The trucks of Forestal Mininco go up in smoke.
Region of La Araucanía
On Friday, July 8, in the early morning in the municipality of Chol Chol-Galvarino, on the forest estate of the company Forestal Mininco, 4 trucks, 2 machines and 1 van were set on fire. Claimed by the ORT Txenka Marimán (CAM).
Concepción, July 8, 2022. Two luxury cars of a dealership were set on fire.
Region of Bío Bío
On the night of Friday, July 8, around 2:30 am in the city of Concepción, two luxury cars were set on fire at a car dealership located on Avenida Prat. At the scene, the cops will find a banner, on which was written: “We come from the night and it is towards it that we go. Pablo Toño Marchant is present, Justice!” .
La Unión, July 12, 2022. Eight trucks of Forestal Anchile go up in smoke.
Region of Los Ríos
On the night of Tuesday, July 12, around 3:00 am in the municipality of La Unión, on the Peleco estate of the forestry company Forestal Anchile, 8 trucks were set on fire. According to the press, about fifteen people with weapons arrived, shooting in the air, before spraying the eight forestry trucks with gasoline. Claimed by the WAM (Weichan Auka Mapu) in solidarity with the Mapuche prisoners.
Arauco, July 12. incendiary attack against the installations of the wind farm
…and against the cottages of the former mayor of Contulmo
Region of Bío Bío
On the night of Tuesday, July 12, around 10:40 pm, in the municipality of Arauco, in the sector of Las Peñas, where a wind farm is located, a group of about ten people with weapons attacked the guards of these energy structures, first disarming them, then evicting them from their houses, before setting fire to them, along with two technical sheds for the maintenance of the wind turbines. A little later, around 2 am in the sector of Coihueco, the unknown persons razed to the ground the two cottages of the former mayor of Contulmo, Mauricio Lebrecht, setting them on fire. Needless to say that the Chilean press made a lot of noise about this attack “against the wind farm”, especially since a banner left on the spot alluded to the liberation of Mapuche prisoners…
Arauco, July 13. along the P40 road…
Region of Bío Bío
On Wednesday morning, July 13, in the municipality of Arauco, along the road to the Raqui Reserve, a group of about ten armed people attacked several forest interests in five different places along the same P40 road.
Along their route, they set fire to 5 trucks, a skidder, a crane, a jeep, a pickup truck and a container used as a canteen. Then a little later, in the sector of Los Huapes, the group intercepted a truck transporting forestry workers, made them get off and then set it on fire.
Máfil, July 17, 2022. Nearly 19 construction machines are reduced to ashes
Region of Los Ríos
On Sunday night, July 17, two attacks occurred, the first in Máfil and the second in Lanco.
In the municipality of Máfil around 3:30 am, it was the wood aggregate company Áridos del Sur on the Santa Elena estate that began to pay dearly. There, about twenty people burned 22 pieces of machinery: 3 excavators, 13 trucks and 3 vans. A banner of the ORT Williche Kalfulikan (CAM) was found at the scene, which said, among other things, “Forestry, aggregate and latifundist companies, get out of Wallmapu. Toñito [Pablo Marchant] lives through the struggle.”
Lanco, July 17, 2022.
The second attack occurred in the municipality of Lanco at around 5:45 am, on the San Antonio estate of the company Forestal Arauco, a dozen armed people neutralized the site’s security guards, and then set fire to 1 excavator, 1 pickup truck and 1 container (used as a canteen).
* NdT :
In a July 8 statement claiming responsibility for several attacks of its ORT, the Coordinadora Arauco Malleco (CAM) made it clear that “extractivism and militarization in Wallmapu will not change under the pseudo-left government of Gabriel Boric, nor with a new Constitution… We call for the strengthening of Territorial Resistance Organs – ORT and other expressions of resistance from the perspective of the weychan [struggle], without giving in to the crumbs offered by the new folkloric institutionality of multicultural indigenism, which is also being promoted by the big forestry companies and others to integrate parts of our population. .. Although we have experienced the consequences of colonialism and the capitalist system in our territory, its dynamics are continental and global, which unites us in resistance with other revolutionary expressions outside of the historical Wallmapu.”
[Chilean Press Synthesis, July 19, 2022]
Translated by Act for freedom now!