Open Letter to the President of the Republic of Chile
and
at the Chilean and Internacional Opinion
Sr. Ricardo Lagos
4th May, 2000
Presidente de la República de Chile
Palacio de la Moneda, Santiago de Chile
We are a group of different people native from different countries and representing different academic, artistic, of professional spheres and fields. In spite of our differences, a common interest links us : the history and the reality of the Mapuche people from Chile and Argentina.
It is this link, which couple Chile and the Mapuche people, which push us to get in contact with you. In the past last years, and in different occasion, we have been the witness of the high handed proceeding under which the Chilean government took care of the request of such a people for their legal and political rights. That’s why many times we were obliged to proclaim in front of the international opinion the abuse of power and the high-handed proceeding, physical and legal exercised and the Mapuche people.
It is not a hazard if during the past years Chile was blamed by several international organisms. The North American Department in his annual file on the human rights for the year 1999 underlined the irregularities about the legal situation of the Mapuche prisoner and the abuse of power under which the women and Mapuche children are suffering. Danielle Mitterand’s association France Libertés underlined too the Chilean State for its violation on the Mapuche rights (August 1999) in front of the Commission for Fighting against the Discriminatives Mesures and for the Protection of the Minorities by the United Nations. In the same way the Proposal of Settlement against the violation of the human rights for the Mapuche People in Chile of the European Parliament (March 1999) As well as the sentence of the Chilean government by the Committee of the elimination of the racial discrimination of the United Nation against the discrimination exercised on the indigenous (August 1999).
We were and remain dismayed by the last events regarding the detention and treatment of the Mapuche leaders. Victor Ancalaf Llaupe, Ariel Ancalaf Llaupe, Julio Huentecura Llacaleo, Italo Quevedo Tapia, Roberto Huentekol, Jose Munoz Marileo Calfuqueo and Luis Ancalaf Llaupe. Numerous of them charged for infringement to the law of interior security of State.
The detention of the leaders was justified by the declarations in front of the Judge Georgina Solis- wrested to a man racked under torture by the police. In spite of that, juridically the pretend to do a collective sentence. Everybody knows that this kind of acting is the favourite arm for those who pretend legitimate a law in force as a political instrument.
Mister President, We have to face again to a situation supported by the international organisms and the public opinion. It is because of such irregularities that the Mapuche leaders are today doing a hunger strike in the Temuko’s jail. That’s why we are today, in spite of the goodwill shown during your electoral campaign and around the Table of negotiation, this Mapuche Leaders are politic captives of your government.
It is wellknown in the wild Mapuche territories of the austral regions that the Mapuche’s claims for the ancestral lands is latent. It is possible, otherwise probable that one day, as a consequence of the up to date circumstances the glowing embers will poke up under the ashes. The request for peace and justice Mapuche is a political claim and not a politico-military problem as it was qualified by the Mrs Belmar, Intendent of the Araucania Region. Mister President, we, who are signing this letter, are doing it in order to liberate the Political captives Mapuche and in order to suspend the application of the law inherit from the military dictatorship (The law of the interior security of State).
Jorge Calbucura, Ph.D. sociólogo, Departamento de Sociología, Universidad de Uppsala, Suecia Nilo Cayuqueo. Co-Director de Abya Yala Fundation for Indigenous Self-Determination in South and Meso-America Prince Philippe d'Araucanie-Patagonie, France Carlos Piquil, Trabajador, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Gerardo Huircán, Profesor de artes manuales. Waldorfskola, Umeå. Suecia Miguel Utreras Imilmaqui Actor y Director Teatral, Noruega. Laurence Ben Maamer. Export Manager (Fashion). Paris France Domingo Paine. Växjö, Suecia Dionicio Barrales. Edmonton Alberta, Canada. Gloria Antipan 183 Warwick Rd. Edmonton, Alberta Canada Miguel Antipan 183 Warwick Rd. Edmonton, Alberta Canada Equipo Nizkor, España Nizkor International Human Rights Team Serpaj Europa (Belgica - UE) Derechos Human Rights. United Satates Coordinadora Estatal de apoyo al pueblo Mapuche de España Gaston Lion. Président du Comité Belge-Amérique Indienne. Belgique Tonje Folkestad, Lic. Manejo de Recursos Naturales, Directora de FIVAS (International Association for Water and Forest Studies), Noruega Mirek Doubrava, Traductor e Intérprete. Presidente Fundación Rehue, Holanda. Armando Navarrete S.M. , Est. Comunicaciones, Univ. Concordia, Montreal. Presidente "Comité de Apoyo al Pueblo Mapuche, Sec. Montreal, Canada. Alicia Jardel, Profesora. Casa de América Latina en Bruselas; Presidenta de SEDIF asbl, NG de Educación al Desarrollo. Bruselas, Bélgica; Douglas Galleguillos, Animateur socioculturel. Centre Social Centre Ville à Villeneuve d'Ascq FRANCE. Presidente asociacion franco-chilena Cordillera. Villeneuve d'Ascq France Bernadette Lhuillier. Enseignante, Villeneuve d'Ascq France Pavel Pavelic Jofre. Presidente.Covejuch-Belgica Comite de apoyo por la Verdad y la Justicia en Chile. Antwerpen, Belgica Katarina Marklund. Graphic designer, Royal Swedish Opera, Stockholm, Sweden Ingeborg Nordbø Master of science, Ålborg University, Denmark F. Elena Economou. 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