| April 20, 2015 The history of the Rankilko Mapuche Community in Chile Bajo Malleco. |
In 1865 The Mapuche community of Rankilko was forcefully displaced from it's ancestral land by the Chilean government and the land was illegitimately sold to mostly European Colonists. This displacement followed a well established genocide pattern against the Mapuche people that has extended from the Spanish conquest of the 17th century to this day. It's because of these facts We the Mapuche people of Rankilko openly denounce the violation of our human rights by the Chilean government. Rights universally agreed upon. 12 years ago moving towards the recuperation of our lands we established a demand with the Chilean state to which we have received only oppression and the constant dismissal of our claims. Members of our community have been arbitrarily and unjustly incarcerated, entire families have been persecuted forcing them to live in clandestinity intensifying their poverty. The local government in collaboration with the landowners illegitimately occupying our territory have launched a media campaign portraying us as violent criminals and terrorists to which not even our children escape as they are harassed by police in a constant basis. Our only response has been peaceful demonstrations to which police brutality has produce at least 10 Mapuche people wounded by gunfire since April 6th. By these actions the Chilean state not only breaks it's own law and every treaty with the Mapuche people, but also the United Nations "Declaration on the rights of the indigenous peoples' and 'Universal declaration of human rights' while Chile's current president Michelle Bachelet doesn't show any particular interest on the struggles of the Mapuche people. Our call is for global awareness to stop police brutality against the Rankilko community and all the Mapuche people and to resolve once and for all our land disputes. |