TESTIMONY OF YOUNG MAPUCHE MOTHER, HUMILIATED AND ATTACKED PSYCHOLOGICALLY AND PHYSICALLY BY SPECIAL FORCES IN ERCILLA, CHILES

Susanna Venegas Curinao, on the right side of the image

Source: http://alianzaterritorialmapuche.blogspot.nl/2013/10/testimonio-de-joven-madre-humillada-y.html

This is the testimony of the Mapuche woman of Temukuykuy, a victim of unlawful coercion, physical and verbal violence by a Chilean Armed Group (about a hundred members of the military police) on Tuesday, October 9. Taken to a police station where she would remain until Wednesday 10 when she was passed to the Courts on charges of "Obstruction of work of a policeman". The words of Susanna Venegas Curinao, 25 years, and this is her testimony of what happened from the abduction site to the city of Angol:

"It was about 10am when we walked as usual (with the Werken Mijael) to our crops on the reclaimed land of the former Estate La Romana, when we found ourselves surrounded by a panorama of destruction. It was the police who destroyed all the fences that our people had made to protect more than 20 hectares of grain sown. Mijael goes to talk to the operating manager, I was recording with my phone when I realize that at least 20 cops (police) had him on the floor kicking him. I'm running to ask for his release and they grab me, two cops, Lt. Jara and another one along with 12 cops the took care of me.

I was grabbed by my head and hair to throw me to the ground and they kicked me from behind while other tied my hands behind me with something like a rubber band that put a lot of pressure on my hands and that's how I was put into a police van. On top of that I think I suffered the worst that can happen to a woman anywhere, where perhaps the mildest insult they told me was "Indian whore, daughter of drunkards, stinking of ass, offspring of rats ...". Also they said to me that one day they would wipe out all Mapuche just like their general had done with the communists, I did not understand much of that but I think they referred to Pinochet ....  

When we got to Collipulli they took me out of the van for a while but I was put back in when they realized that they were at the trial of lamgen Melinao of Wente Winkul Mapu then they brought me to Angol to document my injuries, but they finished doing scans and x-rays to the cop that hit me, they only saw that my hands were swollen and purple from the elastic ropes that the cops did not want take off ... It was an assistant paramedic who cut them with scissors. "

The young mother concludes by asking "Here at least came the national human rights institution through an official who looked worried, because he went also to the community, because there was a raid and our children in school always suffer and pay the consequences of the long history of violence against my community. But what about the institutions that should worry about our rights as women and of our children?, When will these atrocities against my community and my people end?, Why do the cops yell so many atrocities, who or where do they teach them that?, because most were from Santiago.

I know that this region is full of scholars, some are called intellectuals or thinkers, others believe themselves politicians ... but it seems that everyone looks to the big ones, that their concerns call the shots in Chile, the powerful, the forestries and the mining companies that are to come soon. They talk about us Mapuche only when it suits them. I have less trust in the media such as television or newspapers, as we do not pay them for a story in our favor, they never will do so, while the government, the businessmen ... pay and always appear clean, as the good guys." 

"Well, now I will see how to spend this night here imprisoned while my daughter in Temucuicui waits for me, this happens only to Mapuche defending their rights, Chaltu lamgen, pewkallal and newen for all."

It should also be noted that Susan will represent the ATM at the Global Indigenous Women's Conference "Progress and Challenges facing the Future We Want", to be held in Lima from 28 to 30 of the current month in the city of Lima, an event that has the support of various UN agencies, under the coordination of the Continental Network of Indigenous Women of the Americas - ECMIA and the International Indigenous Women's Forum - FIMI.