The land conflict in southern Chile is often called the “Mapuche conflict”, after the name of the country’s largest indigenous group.
Careless, many believe – so does President Gabriel Boric.
– It is not a “Mapuche conflict”, it is a conflict between the Chilean state and a people who have the right to exist, said the young left-wing leader in his first speech as president in March.
The flag of the Mapuche people could often be seen waving among the crowds during Boric’s campaign meetings before the election last year. The 36-year-old criticized conservative ex-president Sebastián Piñera for stoking unrest in the southern regions by deploying the military, and promised a new way to tackle the issue.
However, the difficulties of navigating the infected conflict became clear when Boric’s Interior Minister Izkia Siches traveled to the Araucanía region in March as part of the new government’s dialogue strategy. Siches and her staff were forced to take cover after gunfire was heard upon their arrival in the community of Temucuicui.
Same method
However, she was able to go ahead with her planned meeting with the father of farmer and activist Camilo Catrillanca, who was shot dead by police in 2018, and the government has insisted it wants to continue on the dialogue track.
Meanwhile, vehicle fires and outbreaks of violence have continued to rock the regions of Araucanía and Biobío – and in May Boric decided to take the same approach as his predecessor. A state of emergency was introduced in four provinces, which means that the military is once again patrolling roads in the areas. The government points out that this has led to a reduction in violent incidents.
At the same time, tensions have intensified. Some Mapuche representatives describe the presence of the military as an unacceptable provocation.
– Sending the military here means a declaration of war, said Víctor Queipul, local leader in Temucuicui, in an interview in May.
Historical conflict
The conflict has its roots in the Chilean state’s violent annexation in the late 1800s of the historic Mapuche territory of Araucanía, which had managed to remain independent during Spanish colonization.
The occupation destroyed the communities of the indigenous population and paved the way for the forestry and agriculture that today is mainly carried out by large companies that often cultivate unilaterally with eucalyptus or pine.