Posted on 05/04/2012 by Ryan Seelau
The following is a translation of a statement released by the Mapuche Community of Wente Winkul Mapu, which experienced additional police raids in their territory on Monday, April 2, 2012. This statement was made public on April 5, 2012 and was translated by Man-Ya Kniese. The original version (in Spanish) is available here.
Public Statement About Violent Raid to Community Wente Winkul Mapu
Demonstrated is the will of the state, at the confusing death of Albornoz, the first thing they do, through their authorities, is manifest the traditional racism with which they operate, and their zero political will to curb violence in the area, instead they threaten to increase repression and become part of the investigations and in advance of the complaints, without attempting to clarify the facts and with utter lack of restraint that should prevail…
1. On Monday April 2, 2012, at about 9 am, a violent raid was conducted to the sector of Chequenko, leaving a toll of houses completely destroyed, women and children hit by the Special Forces and the GOPE police, all sheltered on their uniform, on the orders of his high command and in the presence of anti Mapuche Fiscal Luis Chamorro.
2. Our Community categorically rejects the serious act of violence exercised by the police in the repeated raids to the Mapuche community of Wente Winkul Mapu, as well as any kind of allegations and charges on the death of policeman Hugo Albornoz Albornoz.
3. According to the history given by police to the press, to justify and to silence rumor, in this procedure they would have found a gun and a cartridge of ammunition caliber 12, antecedents that according to Prosecutor Luis Chamorro, community members allegedly have been using to commit unlawful acts such as attempted murder against Private landowner Juan de Dios Fuentes.
4. We want to be very adamant in pointing out that the Public Ministry together with police, to justify the procedures and the subsequent allegations charging members of Mapuche communities struggling for territorial restitution, perform these searches early and then show the alleged seizure of weapons removed from housing, to achieve prosecuting and imprisoning Mapuche brothers, it is a common practice in full view of all, used to put together Judicial setups, gaining absolute validity to our argument since at the time of the trial these seizures are not presented due to their inexistence, used as an argument to generate a stir in public opinion and reaffirm the militarization and police abuse in the Wallmapuche, following the sinister charges also of the Minister of Internal Affairs, at this time, Mr. Hinzpeter.
5. We would also note that the Mapuche community of Wente Winkul Mapu is a community that has been working hard for the defense, promotion and demand for political and cultural Territorial Rights of the Mapuche Nation. Therefore we stand in solidarity and fully support the process of struggle for the total return of usurped Mapuche territory.
6. For our community the circumstances of the death of this policeman is not clear yet, so one can not assign responsibility to Wente Winkul Mapu, since due to the constant lack of control with which the police acts in the proceedings, they may also have shot themselves , an example of this occurred in Santiago.
7. Moreover, for our community, the death of the policeman who was mistreating our people, it is not clear yet, it is unclear where the shot that killed him came from, therefore one can not assign responsibility to the Mapuche community. Due to lack of control of police officers in the procedures, they could have shot him and presented a different version to the public.
8. Demonstrated is the will of the state, at the confusing death of Albornoz, the first thing they do, through their authorities, is manifest the traditional racism with which they operate, and their zero political will to curb violence in the area, instead they threaten to increase repression and become part of the investigations and in advance of the complaints, without attempting to clarify the facts and with utter lack of restraint that should prevail; however, when there dies a Mapuche killed by police (Alex Lemun, 17, killed by Major Marcos Treuer in 2002, Lonko John Collihuín, 71, killed by Sergeant Luis Mariman in 2006, Matthias Catrileo, 21, killed in the back by Corporal Walter Ramirez in 2008, Jaime Menzoza Collio, killed in the back by the Corporal Patricio Jara in 2009, being involved in the police setup by the General Ivan Bezmalinovic) they tend to lower the profile and endorse the behavior of police , shielding them with their uniform, and leaving their murderers after annoying and fraudulent lawsuits, with negligible penalties, simply signing while those who make political decisions or cover up, from their high command or in their government positions, go unpunished and are elected as a national authority, without being part of any judicial process.
Moreover, the government created immediately by Hinzpeter a new organic order to investigate, disrupt and suppress the Mapuche communities, instead of giving an outlet to the dialogue, taking full advantage of the political and media attention of the unclear death of a public official that is lost by the police force and of the pain of his family, denying a political solution and trying to cover, again, the sun with a finger.
9. We would also note that the Mapuche community Wente Winkul Mapu has been working hard for the defense, promotion and application of the Territorial Rights, Political Rights and cultural rights of the Mapuche Nation, so we stand in solidarity and fully support the process of struggle for full restitution of Usurped Mapuche territory. and the recovery of our collective rights as an oppressed people denied by a totalitarian state in the service of the capitalists and their interests.
10. Our community appeals to all the Mapuche communities to be vigilant and support our brothers, since the time we live in is complicated and above all solidarity must prevail in these days when a possible escalation of violence and state terrorism can drop in again dressed in green, and protected by force and staining again our territory in red with the blood of our People.
Autonomous Mapuche Community Temucuicui.
Wall-Mapuche Thursday April 5, 2012
Source: Indigenous News