Monday, March 25, 2013

Forestry Mininco would be behind the persecutions and arrests in Collipulli affecting the Mapuche family Ancalaf, Chile

Source: http://www.mapuexpress.net/content/news/print.php?id=10053

A son and a niece of the leader Victor Ancalaf were arrested after a violent raid on the Community Choin Lafkenche, who will be charged with an alleged crime involving the interests of the forestry company Mininco. The repression and criminalization has also spread to neighboring communities leading to new detainees. Remember that the Werkén Ancalaf has been the victim of persecution by the company within the framework of the complaints and reclaiming of land by the communities.

The son of Victor Ancalaf Mapuche leader, Heriberto Ancalaf Prado (20) with his cousin Camila Ancalaf (19) will remain in custody until Monday after being arrested as part of an investigation into "armed robbery", published soychile. cl.

The measure was adopted by the Court of Collipulli following the request by the Prosecutor Luis Chamorro, who also investigates a possible link with an ambush suffered by forest brigade members this past March 3 in Collipulli.

The two cousins ​​were arrested on March 21 at 11 o'clock in the morning, after a violent raid carried out by police in the community Choin Lafkenche.

In the research diligence, militarized police stated that that they seized a shotgun, a gun firing blank ammunition and elements used by forest brigade members, including a protective mask with a filter and a chainsaw, elements whichas noted by the "official" sources, belong to the group of forest brigade members of the company Mininco that would have been shot at in Collipulli, according to their reports.

Two more arrests

Collipulli chief prosecutor, Luis Chamorro, confirmed the arrest of two other people on Friday March 22 as part of the so-called "armed robbery to forest brigade members".
These are Enrique Tori Malian, Lonko of the community Antonio Paillacoi and Cesar Panitro Werkén of the community Lonko Mawida Alto. 

The prosecutor said that in this instance also will be requested the extention of the detention so that the formalization is performed on Monday to the four detainees, reported Radio Bio Bio.

Meanwhile, the defense of Heriberto Ancalaf and Camila Ancalaf will not have access to the investigative file until Monday because it was decreed secret of the investigation, said the medium.

A history of persecution

Victor Ancalaf was sentenced to five years and one day in prison for the case called "terrorist arson attack" with the application of this aberrant Act inherited from the military dictatorship, within the framework of the conflict over the construction of the Ralco hydroelectric dam in the upper reaches of the Bio Bio with the transnational "ENDESA".


However a series of events of conflict with the company Forestry Mininco preceded this, which included trials and persecution against him directly and indirectly, denoting the clear attempt by the company to criminalize him.       

In March 2000, fourteen Mapuche were detained by the militarized police, including the Werkén Victor Ancalaf, after occupying the Court of Collipulli in the context of a peaceful demonstration to protest the arrest of three members of Mapuche communities of the territory in the framework of conflicts arisen with the company Forestry Mininco. 

The protesters closed the Court for approximately two hours because of the repressive police deployment in the vicinity, being inside the Minister of the Court of Appeals of Temuco and the Court judge. 

The community members were immediately arrested on charges of "kidnapping" after they surrendered. A visiting Minister was appointed to the case and in late April, Judge Julius Caesar Grandón lifts the charges of the Mapuche, except for Victor Ancalaf, to whom they added charges of contempt and kidnapping for the peaceful occupation which took place on March 28 in the Court of Collipulli, at which time the Minister Lenin Lilloy and the Court Judge were inside. 

As a result of it being a "crime of public criminal proceedings," the forestry company became part of the charges in this process and the leader was imprisoned five months and while this was happening, on April 25, 2000, while he was in jail , a new and cowardly attack by unknown assailants on the home of the Werkén was registered, through repeated stoning and breaking of glass resulted unharmed his five children and their mother. From the community they stated also: "We have repeatedly viewed the passage of trucks in the area belonging to Forestry Business Brigades, therefore its authorization is presumed. The action adds to others in which there even have been used firearms ... ", they stated.

What is the position of the leader Victor Ancalaf in the territorial conflict with the forestry companies? 

Victor Ancalaf, in an interview conducted by Mapuexpress in the year 2000, stated on the economic groups of the forestry companies that "They are the ultimate power in the region, they have been a stumbling block for the Mapuche and their territory. These companies currently occupy Mapuche territory, surrounding and closing in on the communities with their forest plantations. Forestry companies in Chile, organized in the so called "CORMA", have called the protests for land reclamation Rural Terrorism ". 

At another point he stated: "The damages caused by their activity have been incalculable. Environmentally, they have burned thousands of hectares of native forests to make way for their plantations of pine and eucalyptus, working with a number of harmful chemicals, and due to the large water absorption of these exotic species, they have dried up rivers, streams, estuaries and aquifers, leaving virtually no water for the Mapuche communities ... "and he adds:" the bad neighborliness that they have had with the Communities has been traumatic, they bring workers from other places, with different customs causing serious differences with the community members, among other fatalities "....

With regard to the practices of the company in the context of the rights of communities and the land claims and the progressive escalation of the conflict, the leader stated: "All this has been further exacerbated by the behavior of the companies regarding the demands made by communities for the reclamation of land, which together with a campaign of vilification and racist qualifications, have sought to undermine the attention to the underlying problems that exist with the Forestries ".... and in this context, he denounces: "We have vented to the public opinion several cases of setups, sabotage and bribery by companies, including legal actions, payments to workers and laborers to blame us and to set forest fires... "  

The collusion of political and national and international economic power

In this regard, the Werkén Victor Ancalaf in his interview broadcasted from the prison of Temuco, stated: "What is inconceivable is that in addition to the complicity that these companies have  in our country through political power, there also exists a protection and international complicity of several countries. It is inconceivable that " Developed" Countries with major advances in legislative matters, today are importing Chilean wood from these companies, carrying on the processed ​​woods the blood and suffering of all the Mapuche people through its history... "

On the free trade agreements implemented by governments, he mentioned the following: "Today, Chile has signed treaties at all levels, has allowed free trade of products such as pine and eucalyptus, but the strange thing is that countries with a supposed sense of respect for diversity and which are very rigorous in environmental controls, are buying this kind of stuff "... he continues," Perhaps the time has come to call on these governments to understand what they are Importing and under what conditions. These changes are tasks of Everyone "....

Lastly the leader left the following message: "Today the task is: No more Pine and Eucalyptus, to stop the brutal ethnocide and environmental damage, otherwise the consequences will be irreparable, not only for the Mapuche people, but for the Chilean people." 
 

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