Chile: New wave of Mapuche land conflicts

The southern Chilean region of Araucanía has been shaken in the last few days by occupations of land by Mapuche activists claiming it as part of their ancestral territory, attacks on vehicles, and the resurgence of an anti-Mapuche paramilitary group. "In order for us to call off our actions, we would have to sit down to talk - the government, the business community and the Mapuche people - at a negotiating table," Juan Carlos Curinao, a Mapuche "lonco" or chief, told IPS Friday, referring to the series of actions that began on Jul. 23, with no scheduled end date. On Jul. 7, around 100 Mapuche activists travelled 680 km from Araucanía to the capital, hoping to meet with socialist President Michelle Bachelet. But the president did not receive them, and they left her a letter warning that actions would soon be taken if their demands were not addressed. As the activists explained on that occasion, they decided to directly show up at the seat of government after they received no response from the governor of the Araucanía region, Nora Barrientos, appointed by the president.