17th February 2012 | By Elena Urrutia
Photo: Sindicato ARI
COMMUNITY CACIQUE JOSE GUIÑÓN.- Luis Marileo Cariqueo, victim of police brutality since his childhood in the Mapuche community, again is being harassed and persecuted by the Chilean police.
He denounces that there is deep psychological damage for the children and the women of the communities that are constantly being attacked with tear gas grenades and where "the police no longer shoots with rubber bullets, but with lead".
For the members of the Cacique José Guiñón Community and human rights defenders this ultimate aggression towards the youth Luis Marileo is considered one more police provocation with yet another deception fabricated by the Ministry of Public affairs to incriminate a Mapuche youth, like it already happened on many occasions.
There are more than a few cases that reached the Chilean state tribunals where the police found itself in a tight spot when it was demonstrated that they are perpetrating flagrant violations of human rights against the Mapuche people. Even so, that has not been sufficient to make them stop attacking the communities and for years complaints have constantly been sent to the human rights organizations of Chile.
To the state police “it doesn’t matter if there are children, mothers or elderly people”, as was specified in a public notice published to let the international community know about these violations of human rights. “In their harassments, the police make no distinctions, not even holding back for a woman holding her child in her arms or for a pregnant woman. At whichever hour they perpetrate their attacks, including in the early morning when the families are sleeping and they throw tear gas grenades to force them to flee from their own homes”.
They forced the Mapuche people off their territories, indicates the complaints on the web, “and the worst is that the children of the communities, in the process of reclaiming the lands and also in the Cacique José Guiñón community, find themselves in a situation of constant danger and insecurity, living daily in terror caused by the Chilean government”.
There exists a report from the year 2004, from the Health Service Araucana North about the Cacique José Guiñón Community, where there are already repeated complaints about the situation, and the severity of it, as is the case with an alert, with respect to the security of the children. The frequent searches of the houses and the institutional harassment have violated all human rights and the rights of the children.
Proceedings of the police harassments against Luis Marileo
Luis Marileo was just 12 years old when he was already cruelly harassed by the police only because he is Mapuche. He spend nearly a year robbed of his freedom in the detention centre for juveniles in Chol Chol accused of participating in a cause of illegal terrorist association, frustrated homicide and arson of movable goods, trial NR 1134-2009, with precautionary measures and still waiting for the preparation of the Oral trial.
Luis Marileo denies all charges against him and declares himself innocent. After a long trial, and physical and psychological torture, they set him loose with house arrest, in February of 2011. This is when he joins the hunger strike protesting against the violence against the community and after 41 days he ends it.
In June 2008, the young Luis Marileo Cariqueo, 16 years old, is again attacked by the state police, suffering a broken jaw from being hit by a rifle butt, during a house search conducted in the Community. Luis was formally accused of damaging officers’ weapons, the illegality of his arrest being recognized by the prosecutor and the defense.
In August 2009, he suffers another attack by the police force. On this occasion, a committee of international observers of human rights witnessed Mrs. Adriana Loncomilla bound and her children crying in a Dantesque scene recognized by the forces of order and it was recorded by international observers.
VIDEO: Allanan Comunidad José Guiñon
Luis suffers physical torture during his detention, punches, slaps on the ears during a - he being under age - illegal interrogation, led by officials from the security forces and civil order. To report this, Luis Marileo gathered the other children tortured by the police in the van which took them to the police station with false accusations. They recorded a video report where they appear beaten and covered in blood.
VIDEO: menores MAPUCHE
On April 13, 2010, Luis Marileo was taken against his will while at the Lyceum "Rural Education Institute" located in the Town of Pailahueque, around 9:00 am. The Lyceum inspector called him to come to his office, and there were two men, who carried their pistols in their belts clearly exposed. One man said he had orders to arrest him, in came six men in civilian clothes who took him out of the office of the inspector and took him away by force from the Lyceum. During his transfer to the 4th Police station in Victoria, Luis was again insulted and beaten. "We're going to trash you in jail," they shouted at him as they were hitting him with the palms of their hands around his ears. He was locked in a cell of 3X2 meters.
On February 11, 2011, he was finally left free with house arrest.
Source: Los Angeles Press