Accusation of direct government intervention in case of Emilio Berkhoff, Chile

After justice revoked yesterday the precautionary measure of a fortnightly signature that weighed against Emilio Berkhoff, the Court ordered the preventive detention of the alleged member of the Coordinadora Arauco Malleco (CAM), for the offense of possession of arms and ammunition. Faced with the verdict of justice, the Government issued a public statement by the interior minister (s) Rodrigo Ubilla, who said that he is a "fugitive associated with the CAM" and that for the government it is essential to keep Berkhoff in prison during the investigation.
On leaving his home in Temuco, Berkhoff said: "I want to announce that my arrest is the result of the pressures exerted by the government to court, and I assume my political imprisonment with the greatest dignity that gives us the freedom struggle to all Mapuche political prisoners." Peggy Bocaz, his partner, in turn, said that "the preventive pressure that was imposed is due to pressure from the Ministry of Interior to the judiciary."

For José Araya, coordinator of the Citizenship and Intercultural Citizens Observatory, the governments performance in this case is tricky because, as he said, "it is obvious that there is a direct interference by the government and continued criticism of the courts and to the actions undertaken in the prosecution of crimes of violence that have occurred in the south and involving Mapuche." Araya also added that the communities are concerned, since it is precisely the government's actions which makes it possible to speak of a setup, as the insistence on qualifying events without having initiated a judicial inquiry would provide a blanket of protection to political and legal persons performing police investigation. 

Preventive detention of Emilio Berkhoff  is ordered under government pressure
Source: http://paismapuche.org/?p=6564
February 12, 2013

Without more accusations than those of "illegal possession of weapons," the Court of Appeals of Concepción ordered the preventive detention of the member the Support Network CAM, revoking the fortnightly signature that had been determined on that charge.

Berkhoff was arrested Friday February 1 near Puerto Choque, Lake Lleu Lleu, along with his family, where according to police, he was carrying a firearm. For this he was formalized and the court of Warranty of Cañete ordered him to sign fortnightly.

At the same time, he was taken to Temuco for a pending arrest warrant to be formalized for abuse of work to a policeman after a march in 2010, cause for which he was held first in preventive detention and then only under full house arrest.

But it was the government by means of the Minister of the Interior Andrés Chadwick, who publicly condemned Emilio Berkhoff ensuring, exhibiting no background, that "he was leading terrorist actions in La Araucanía", accusations that stayed in words, because the prosecution has not presented anything about that to the courts.

Nevertheless, on Tuesday the Court of Appeals of Concepción accepted the request of the prosecution in order to revoke the fortnightly signature and order admission to preventive detention in any of the prisons of the Bio Bio region, under the same antecedents of the beginning, nothing new.

In fact, the defense accused the prosecution of not being impartial, because in other cases of persons accused of the same crime of carrying of a weapon, under the same antecedents, they have been released, even with a conditional suspension of the case.  

Mapuche community members apprehended yesterday by police in the eviction of the court in Collipulli were released today, Chile

The Mapuche community members apprehended yesterday by police in the eviction of the court  in Collipulli were released today after being submitted in court tied with plastic straps in a humiliating way.

The community members were eventually accused of disorderly conduct, possession of a knife and possession of ammunition, however, the Court of Warranty accepted the request of the defense of not to subject the Mapuche to precautionary measures, leaving them free.

For the defender Pablo Ardohain, the Public Ministry failed to prove the direct perpetration of the accused or that they were a danger to the security of society. "We are facing misdemeanors, even more so because we are dealing with teenagers and we believe such action (prison) was exaggerated, especially for dealing with underage adolescents," said the lawyer.

For various injuries which the detainees present, the lawyer also said that all detainees will undergo a new
verification of injuries, because, he said, they have various injuries caused by police, both from the time of arrest, as in the following hours, even caused by aggressions of this day.

22 Mapuche were arrested and will be formalized for supporting hunger striker Fernando Millacheo, Chile

Source: http://paismapuche.org/?p=6567
February 12, 2013

With 22 detainees (20 according to police) ended the clashes between community members of Chekenco and militarized police during the review hearing of the precautionary measures of Fernando Millacheo, who fulfills 51 days on hunger strike.

The police onslaught began early, when at about 10 am police arrested the werken of Temucuicui Jaime Huenchullán and a French visitor.

Later a strong contingent of Special Forces besieged the families, in majority of the community Newen Mapu of Chequenco, who accompanied Fernando Millacheo, Mapuche political prisoner in the jail of Angol, whose review hearing of the precautionary measures was postponed to Friday 15.

The harassment by militarized police led to a confrontation where special forces unleashed their violence against the group of community members, regardless of there being present women and children. 22 were arrested, including several who will be formalized on Wednesday 13, for various crimes that the police formulated.

The importance of solidarity with the Machi, Mapuche spiritual leaders, imprisoned by the Chilean State

Source: http://paismapuche.org/?p=6517
February 7, 2013

COMMUNIQUE BY THE MAPUCHE COMMUNITIES IN RESISTANCE IN HUILLICHE, CHILE

Given the seriousness of the legal actions that led to the arrest and imprisonment of two zugunmachife, two kona and the Machi Millaray Huichalaf and Tito Cañulef, ancestral spiritual authorities of the Mapuche-Williche nation, the lof in resistance in the river Pilmaiken declare: 

Kiñe: We call upon our people to stay alert and informed about these developments in order to denounce the repeated abuses that are being exerted against Mapuche ancestral authorities, as part of a campaign of intimidation and criminalization aimed at breaking the movement to defend the spiritual spaces threatened by transnational interests in the Williche territory. It is clear that the imprisonment of our brothers is due to the pressures that the prosecution has registered to use them as scapegoats in the investigation of the attacks in the Araucanía. 

Epu: We call on all Mapuche territorial identities and all lof of Wallmapu to express their solidarity with the imprisoned spiritual authorities, on the basis that our survival as a culture depends on the integrity of the territories undermined by mega-projects that threaten the continuity of the Mapuche way of life.

Kila: We call on all the Mapuche ancestral authorities to pronounce on these facts and actively join the efforts aimed at the immediate release of the Machi Millaray Huichalaf and Machi Tito Cañulef.

Meli: We call on also our brothers of Puelmapu to join these actions and to intensify ancestral links with the communities in resistance of the river Pilmaiken, which is the Ngen Mapu Kintuante, spiritual bastion of the Williche-Mapuche. 

Kechu: We urge to strengthen the practice of our ancestral spirituality and Mapuche feyentun, from which depends both the survival of the Mapuche culture and of all forms of life that live in our territory, threatened by the greed of transnational power, forms of life that our people have always defended, protected and valued ​​because it is an inherent part of our way of life.  

Kayu: We repudiate, in short, the criminalization of our spiritual authorities, as part of a strategy to undermine the actions for the recovery of our spiritual territories, of whose legal protection and inviolability the integrity of our culture depends. 

Regle: The public should know that the imprisonment of our spiritual authorities has serious consequences for our people. First, given the nature of their spiritual leadership and responsibilities in the practice of medicine and the conducting of the ceremonies, the Machi must perform different daily spiritual activities that are interrupted by their arrest, harming their welfare as people and hindering their spiritual performance. Their imprisonment leaves their patients seriously helpless, whose health and recovery depends on the constant attention of the Machi. The arrest of a Machi has serious implications for the spiritual balance necessary for the welfare of the ancestral communities.

Purra: The persecution of the Machi through arbitrary accusations of poor consistency in the interests of those sections of the state that look favorably on denationalization of territory by multinational capital, which seek to maximize profits and consolidate a submissive model in which the Chilean and Mapuche sovereignty are seriously threatened. This orchestrated campaign of criminalization of Mapuche ancestral authorities seeks to undermine the integrity of our people, dragging it to violence and despair. However, the Mapuche nation is based on a long history of sovereignty and resistance that can not be overwhelmed by these events. Despite the negative consequences of incarceration, our Machi can not be intimidated, as they draw their power directly from the spiritual world.

Aylla: Finally, we call on the Chilean society as a whole and all people of goodwill who recognize the legitimacy of the Mapuche way of life and find in it a paradigm for a better way of life, to take part in the solidarity with the imprisoned spiritual authorities demanding their immediate release. It is time to understand that so far two nations forcibly coexist in the same territory without the Chilean people stopping to consider calmly the aspirations that both nations have in common.

We call to boost a real and mutually enriching dialog, whose requirement is that the authorities and spiritual territories are respected and restored to those who since ancient times have honored and protected them in all circumstances: the Mapuche people and their spiritual and territorial authorities.

Juana Cuante
Apo Ulmen of the General Board of Caciques, Valdivia Province
Spokeswoman Pu Lof in Resistance of the River Pilmaikén    

 

Campaña internacional de solidaridad y recolección de fondos para la Comunidad Mapuche Wente Winkul Mapu

Campaña internacional de solidaridad y recolección de fondos para la Comunidad Mapuche Wente Winkul Mapu

Estimados lamngen, peñi y amig@s, reiteradamente ha sido golpeada por la represión del estado, pero a pesar de ello hemos seguido recuperando nuestra tierra, sin pedir nada a nadie, ni involucrarnos con los proyectos que ofrece el estado para bajar la lucha que hemos emprendido.

Pero Los costos de esta pequeña autonomía han significado el empobrecimiento de todos nosotros, aun mas de la condición que tenemos. También sabemos que como pueblo debemos todos juntos hacernos cargo de la recuperación del territorio, de nuestros presos, de su defensa y apoyarlos en sus movilizaciones.

Por eso invitamos a todos los Mapuche que se sientan parte de esta lucha y a todos los no Mapuche conscientes a solidarizar con nuestra comunidad.

Su apoyo nos permitirá dedicarnos de forma efectiva a acompañar a nuestros peñi en la cárcel y sus familias y para cubrir los altos costos de la defensa legal contra el Estado.

Todos sus donaciones irán a una sola cuenta transparente, en el que todos los recursos serán canalizados y utilizados solamente para apoyar a los peñi perseguidos injustamente por el Estado.

Enviar donaciones por Western Union a:
Daniel Melinao Melinao, Chile
Enviar un mensaje con la cantidad (Pesos chilenos), el nombre completo del remitente, el país y el número de transacción a la siguiente dirección de correo electrónico: danielmelinao@gmail.com
Desde Chile: CUENTA RUT 16051936-3 DEL BANCO DEL ESTADO DE CHILE

Gracias a cada herman@ que solidariza

International solidarity campaign for the Mapuche community Wente Winkul Mapu

International solidarity campaign for the Mapuche community Wente Winkul Mapu

Dear sisters, brothers and friends, our community has been hit repeatedly by state oppression, but nevertheless we continue recovering our territory without neither asking anything from anyone, nor getting ourselves involved with the projects offered by the State to make us lay down the fight that we have undertaken.

But the costs of this little autonomy have meant the impoverishment of all of us. We also know that as a People we must all together take on the responsibility of the recovery of our territory, of our prisoners, of their defense, and of supporting them in their actions.

Therefore we call on all Mapuche who feel part of this struggle and all non-Mapuche who sympathize with us to show solidarity with our community.

Your support will enable us to effectively accompany and support our Peñi (Brothers) in prison and their families and to cover the huge costs of their legal defense against the State.

All donations will go to a single, transparent, account, where all resources will be channeled and used to support our struggle.

Send donations by WESTERN UNION to:
Daniel Melinao Melinao, Chile
Send a message with the AMOUNT(Chilean Pesos), full name of sender, country and the Transaction Number to the following E-mail address: danielmelinao@gmail.com

Thanks to everyone who solidarizes

Indigenous Mapuche People Struggle Against the Chilean State and Private...

Young member of Mapuche community Wente Winkul Mapu goes into hiding after blunt political condemnation in Chile

Source: http://paismapuche.org/?p=6499
February 4, 2013

The sentences to members of the Community Wente Winkul Mapu read out this Monday in the Oral Trial Court of Angol, show several facts affecting the Chilean justice when it comes to judging Mapuche in decisive moments.

The youths were convicted in connection with the fight of their community for the recovery of Mapuche territory now occupied by the entrepreneur landowner Juan de Dios Fuentes , a colonist who has the servitude of the State.

During the trial, first, underlies the racism endemic in powerful Chileans who impose their enormous interests and privileges whenever a Mapuche is judged.

On the other hand, there are shown the unscrupulous and shameless pressures of the government of Piñera to the judicial institutions and especially its counterpart, the judges pressured to convict without the minimum standards of proof, under pressure to condemn even against their own convictions. Moreover, coerced, forced to condemn the innocent to allow the government to show results to the occupiers of Wallmapu that exchange for justice, results as false as the evidence of the prosecutor Chamorro or the "government dialogs."

The political convictions of today against Erick Montoya and Rodrigo Montoya to 6 ½ years and 5 years and one day respectively as well as the symbolic condemnation of Ricardo Nahuelqueo, seek to expiate the guilt and the ineffectiveness of the government.

And in the words of defense attorney Nelson Miranda, this is the most scandalous trial as to the lack of evidence.

Public statement Wente Winkul Mapu on the judgment of this afternoon 

The Community Wente Winkul Mapu declares to the Mapuche people, social organizations and to the public opinion the following: 

1. - Our peñi Erick Montoya, along with Rodrigo Montoya and Ricardo Nahuelque, was convicted and sentenced this afternoon to six years and a day and 541 days in prison, in a seditious setup culminating with this ruling through the testimony of a protected witness, which despite its contradictions, managed, through lies, that our peñi must fulfill a penalty of effective political prison in the prison of Angol.

2. - Faced with this we communicate that our peñi has decided with dignity to go underground, because the courts gave no guarantees for a due process, making it clear that his conviction simply responds to a political decision taken by the state, executed by their representatives and their equipment to once again run over the rights of the Mapuche communities to defend themselves and to autonomy of the territory, so we have decided as a community to support the courageous decision of the peñi, as we believe it is a worthy gesture of rebellion against the oppression of the fascist and repressive Chilean state.

3. - In the afternoon, there was a raid on our territory, by the PDI trying to arrest the peñi, without success, but threatening to return tonight. We will not be intimidated by the state terrorism nor the injustice of those who have the power and ability to repress us, since they are simply in favor of the rich in this country, without even pretending to listen to us.

4. - We call on our Mapuche Nation not to be intimidated by the media setups nor the repression from the militarized police, because our struggle is long, fair and it dignifies us.

With our Weichafe, fallen with impunity, in mind, we continue to advance towards free self-determination, exercising territorial control and productive land recoveries.

 Community Wente Winkul Mapu Wallmapuche, February 4, 2013.  

Mapuche Political Prisoners of Wente Winkul Mapu convicted again in Chile

Source: http://meli.mapuches.org/spip.php?article2907
Monday February 4, 2013  
By Commission of Communications / / Campaign to Free all Mapuche Political Prisoners

This afternoon was passed the sentence of the young community members Rodrigo and Erick Montoya and Ricardo Nahuelqueo

As a "new outrage toward the Mapuche Nation" was rated Erick Montoya's sentence to six years in prison, while Rodrigo Montoya was sentenced to five and a half years in prison for attempted murder and alleged mistreatment of militarized police of the Carabineers of Chile and Ricardo Nahuelqueo to 41 days for illegal possession of altered weapons, which "clearly shows the persecution since he was more than five months in pretrial detention, and such high sentences can not be justified since the evidence that was held against our peñi is absurd and just demonstrate the racism with which the law operates when there is political pressure from the government and its repressive forces," said the Werkén of Wente Winkul Mapu, Daniel Melinao.

He added that "the trial also was rife with defects and weighed with the testimony of a protected witness, who lied from behind a screen, with a Voice Changer and also the windows were covered through which we could witness this sad spectacle in which despite the contradictions of testimony, they were sentenced mediatically only for being young Mapuche who defend our territory and dignity".

"We will have to demand justice from the Supreme Court, so we will present an appeal for annulment", he emphasized.

The community members are being taken to the special module for Mapuche political prisoners inside the jail of Angol.

Developing news.

Werkén Daniel Melinao 8167 36 81.

CELAC is over: Chile sold the Mapuche territory and resumed its violent dirty war

Source: http://paismapuche.org/?p=6459
February 4, 2013

A few days after finishing the famous summit of CELAC-EU, the Chilean state once again demonstrates its darker side against Mapuche communities in resistance.

All dialog round-tables: the summits of Mount Ñielol, meetings with Enama, the ADI, were simply a show that the State performed for the countries attending the summit; an image of governability that they needed to present at the time to boost economic agreements, where Wallmapuche was another product for sale. 

The commemoration of the assassination of Matías Catrileo this year marked an important milestone for the communities in resistance and the Mapuche and Chileans in general. The demonstrations, which had a national character Mapuche forced various Mapuche and Chilean sectors to speak out, to show where they stand. A large part of the Mapuche people showed their support for the various territories in resistance, the dignified struggle that they carry on, making it clear that they are not alone in strength and that dignity is one of its greatest virtues.

However, opportunism and petty interests also appeared, those that swarmed at tables and summits to await some crumb to come to their hands, taking advantage of the actions of the communities, or in extreme cases, others who simply in an irresponsible manner fell into making accusations.

But, who was served by all this circus? In the days following the death of the colonists in Vilcún, the government did nothing different than it did for more than a 100 years​​. The repression that exists since those days in Wallmapu was only hidden while carrying out the CELAC-EU summit in Santiago.  

And in this context, both the summit of Mount Ñielol as well as the meeting with Enama and the ADI, served to show a picture of dialog, but also, although upsetting to point it out, for playing along of the government and its desire to divide the Mapuche between good and evil, with the aim of isolating the communities that resist the capitalist occupation and plundering.

And the CELAC ended

The meeting of American and European businessmen, accompanied by obsequious presidents,ended Sunday January 27, and only two days later, on Tuesday 29, surprisingly, three young men of the Community Wente Winkul Mapu were convicted, after as the development of the trial is revealed, it seems to become clear why.

The next day, early Wednesday 30 the area of El Roble-Carimallín in Rio Bueno was violently raided, police detained two Machi and four community members and members of support networks, accusing them of sabotage in territory occupied by entrepreneurs.   

Less than 48 hours later, in the area of Arauco they arrested an entire family, members of a support network and their young children, Emilio Berkhoff being imprisoned under the accusations that were publicly made by the Home Secretary Andrés Chadwick, who, in obedience to business pressures, said they arrested "a leader of violence." It became also known that there were other raids on homes of Machis in search of more prisoners, in addition to the escalation of violence against Mapuche authorities. 

Thus we are witnessing the development of a desperate hunt in a dirty war that the Chilean state deploys, cowardly using its reinforced military apparatus against the Mapuche movement. This attack, along with buying some Mapuche with the money from their "development areas" and "tables of dialog", they seek to stop the growing recovery of the Mapuche ancestral territory and expulsion of large companies that fund the Chilean political class and its capitalist stability.