Police operation destroys houses and runs over a sheep herd in the Mapuche communities Temucuicui Autonomous and Traditional: Brutal raid by Chilean Militarized Police

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

A violent raid was performed in the early hours of this morning into the Mapuche communities Temucuicui Autonomous and Traditional, in the Region of the Araucanía, in estates of private individuals René Urban and Ruf and Zeit, corresponding to Mapuche territories in recuperation, where for two years they have been carrying out a process of productive recuperation for them being part of their ancestral lands.

 • A large police contingent, equipped with various weapons and armored vehicles, broke into the communities this morning.
• Werken Jorge Huenchullan qualified the act as "revenge" for his recent participation at the United Nations General Assembly, where he urged the Government to implement the recommendations adopted on August 30, 2013 by the International Committee of the Convention against Racism, in which it stipulates that they should address the problems of land on the basis of treaties or historical parliaments.

Around 8 am, a strong contingent of Special Police Forces entered the property Nilontraru, owned by the settler René Urban, which is controlled by the Autonomous Community Temucuicui, specifically to the home of Werken Jaime Huenchullan Cayul, who is living on the property. Which was completely destroyed.
 
Subsequently, the police force went to the estates Montenegro and La Romana, also of the settler René Urban and controlled by Community Temucuicui Traditional, where the police have cut the fences installed by the community and trampled the crops that the community established in these properties.

According to Werken Jorge Huenchullan, there were about 300 police personnel who raided violently, destroying houses and running over sheep belonging to the community, leaving so far about 15 animals dead and as many injured, "all owned by peñi," he said, being close to the house of his brother, Jaime Huenchullan. The troops have also violently assaulted the mother of the Werken. 

The raid moved on to several homes in the communities Temucuicui Autonomous and Traditional, where they set to destroying all fences and to shooting, the community tried to prevent their entry, but the superiority of the police contingent was gigantic.

It should be recalled that Mapuche Community Autonomous Temucuicui was raided on May 23 this year, where they told that since about two years ago they are occupying and controlling ancestral lands currently in the hands of the settlers Martin Ruf, family Zeit and the estate Nilontraru by René Urban and Luis Valenzuela, properties where they have carried out ​​different types of planting, animal grazing and construction of housing. Moreover, and within the territorial control the community has been carrying out, they have also performed different types of traditional ceremonies, such as Guillatunes and Palines.

This police action, according to the Werken, "is part of the practice of repression that the Chilean State has been developing against Mapuche communities mobilized for the restoration of Mapuche Territorial and Self-Determination rights",  making a call to the CONADI to hasten the steps to ensure that "once and for all, these lands become legally transferred to the rightful owners, the community Temucuicui," said Huenchullan. Adding that they will never give up their legitimate rights.  

Governmental revenge
 
Jorge Huenchullan further believes that this police action "is a kind of revenge of the government and its repressive apparatus" for his role in September this year at the United Nations, where he called on the government of Chile to comply with recent recommendations adopted on 30 August 2013 by the International Committee of the Convention against Racism, an organization that has stipulated that they should address the problem of lands based on the Treaties and parliaments held by the Chilean State with the Mapuche, to resolve the land rights based on ancestral lands. 

Both recommendations to the Mapuche people have a vital character, therefore, we would like the government to accept to form a joint committee with the Mapuche and explore ways of implementing the Treaties or Mapuche Parliaments and resolve the territorial rights based on the law and not the land sales," said the werken Jorge Huenchullan to the General Assembly Human Rights Council at its 24th session.

Felipe Huenchullan wounded
 
Felipe Huenchullan Cayul, member of the community Temucuicui Autonomous, was found injured. According to information provided by the Werken Jorge Huenchullan, his brother Pelipe was injured while walking to herd the animals, he found himself facing the Police Force who unceremoniously shot him at point blank range, wounded he fled the place and was later found by another community member.

This gigantic raid lasted more than five hours, they used bulldozers and tractors to destroy fences and with chainsaws they cut the stakes, with the tractor they dragged them, the bulldozers made paths for the skunks, tanks and police cars to enter the communities. They destroyed houses, fences and roads, running over and killing animals and stealing tools like axes, hoes and all other agricultural tools. 

A TOTAL OF 8 PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED
  
ARRESTED IN TEMUCUICUI TRADITIONAL: THE WERKEN MIJAEL CARBONE AND HIS WIFE. The werken was later released, his wife remains in prison.

ARRESTED IN TEMUCUICUI AUTONOMOUS: THE LONKO VICTOR QUEIPUL AND HIS SON, THE WERKEN JORGE HUENCHULLÁN AND HIS BROTHER FELIPE HUENCHULLÁN (WHO WAS BEING MOVED TO A MEDICAL CENTRE AS HE IS INJURED) AND 2 OTHERS.
The minor was released, the 5 adults remain in prison.

ALL WERE THROTTLED, HANDCUFFED, THROWN TO THE GROUND AND BRUTALLY BEATEN!