#BREAKING: Mapuche Land Defender, Ernesto Llaitul, Arrested by Chilean Authorities

Hector Llaitul, spokesperson for the Arauco Malleco Coordinating Committee (CAM) and his son Ernesto (who is also a member), were both arrested by Chilean authorities this week just days leading up to the Chilean Draft Constitution on September 4th.

[Tirúa, Wallmapu] The Chilean Special Operations Police (PDI) arrested Mapuche Land Defender, Ernesto Llaitul, son of Mapuche spokesperson for the Arauco Malleco Coordinating Committee (CAM), Hector Llaitul, this afternoon near his home in Tirúa, Werken Noticias confirmed. (1) Ernesto along with his father Hector were both detained this week by Chilean authorities just days ahead of the Chilean Draft Constitution plebiscite scheduled for September 4th, with State Prosecutor, Marcela Cartagena, announcing more arrests will be carried out in Wallmapu in the coming days.(2) Chilean National Police also arrested Ricardo Delgado and Esteban Henríquez today, along with Hector and Ernesto Llaitul in connection with a year-long investigation into Mapuche Land defense actions in the township of Los Angeles, Wallmapu, in 2021. (4)  

The arrest follows a series of actions carried out by Mapuche Lafquenche Land Defenders in Wallmapu targeting the colonial Grollmus Mill in the area of Contulmo, owned and operated by descendents of German settler colonists. (3) According to Defense Attorney, Rodrigo Roman, 

this demonstrates the willingness of Chilean authorities to criminalize Indigenous Land Defenders and interfere in due process, as recordings of Hector Llaitul’s private phone calls collected during the investigation were leaked to the press by Chilean police in order to launch a media campaign against the Mapuche Land Defender and the organization he represents. (5)

This is particularly insidious considering said Indigenous criminalization is happening at a pivotal point in the Boric Coalition Government,(6) both to boost his own polls and that of the campaign for the Draft Constitution plebiscite upcoming this weekend. A waitlist of up to 400 people has been established to visit Hector Llaitul in prison following his arrest last week, Roman stated in a media conference yesterday. (7)  Bail court for the Land Defenders will be held Thursday.   

News in Development

WCCC Toronto

#Mapuche #CAM #HectorLlaitul #ErnestoLlaitul #Wallmapu #WallmapuLibre #Chile #LandBack #Indigenous #IndigenousRights

1. https://www.facebook.com/werken.cl/posts/pfbid0AJPvkhF8pUr6m9xEAQ9vapMMseSNtf5AHSbEXAUHkHgccxFV6SCj1GYx4aHmmkanl
2. https://www.facebook.com/werken.cl/posts/pfbid02dP48nEwfCZSy1CZWmWsvMtjSB26pKFyqWYzTLSaymWoB8mmfuVefRb7Jjk295XAdl 
3. https://www.emol.com/noticias/Nacional/2022/08/30/1071362/molino-grollmus-contulmo-ataque-incendiario.html 
4. https://www.24horas.cl/regiones/zona-centro/biobio/pdi-detiene-al-hijo-de-hector-llaitul-en-tirua 
5. https://www.facebook.com/watch/live?ref=watch_permalink&v=609091780675162
6. https://infowerken.com/?p=352&fbclid=IwAR2YMMUhS_7ote28e02EbPFJW_3BJxK721vaV0PBxVDobyTK84J-GUUkHRk