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Mapuches Reject the Violence of the CAM and Refute DC Senator

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• They state that acts of force "do not reflect" their culture and spirituality.

Surprise and distance were expressed by pro-peace Mapuche organizations, which reject violence and promote the development of indigenous peoples, in response to statements by DC senator and co-chair of the Peace and Understanding Commission, Francisco Huenchumilla, regarding the Arauco Malleco Coordinator (CAM) as "not an organized crime group" and that it "used the method of confronting the State through political violence."

According to groups that consider the attacks illegitimate, the legislator's remarks "go against the tide," as they come "at a time of rejection of violence and demands for greater security," stemming from "the general public and indigenous communities in particular."

Domingo Namuncura, former director of the National Corporation for Indigenous Development (Conadi), distanced himself from the legislator's analysis. He said, "I have never justified anyone for using violence, even since the establishment of the military regime, and, for the same reason, acts of force like those particularly occurring in the south of the country do not evoke any sympathy in me."

He emphasized that "violence has never been linked to Mapuche culture or spirituality; therefore, in general terms, it does not represent our people." He detailed that "the history of our relationship with the State has fundamentally been one of dialogue and negotiation, as in the Tapihue Parliament of 1825 and, in our contemporary democracy, the New Imperial Pact of 1980."

Richard Caifal, director of the Indigenous Policy Center Rakizuam, also disagreed with Huenchumilla. "It is reality itself that disproves the senator with facts, because here we have organizations that have carried out attacks for 27 years and claim responsibility for them," he insisted. He added, "The weight of the facts, with destruction and deaths, leaves no room to even doubt whether the legislator's words are correct or supported by the public."

Hugo Alcamán, president of the Corporation of Mapuche Professionals, described Huenchumilla's remarks as "mistaken" and stressed that the CAM's methods "are typical of criminal organizations, beyond any initial political objective they may have had."

He recounted, "When visiting the communities, I see total rejection of the attacks, because the CAM not only targets companies but also assaults individuals of Mapuche origin."

Source: subscription edition ofEl Mercurio