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Southern Macrozone Community Hopes Peace Commission Will Open a "Path" to Solve Crisis

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Around 300 people are seated inside the dome of the Pablo Neruda National Railway Museum, located in Temuco, La Araucanía Region. They are politicians, academics, civil society leaders, and businesspeople who have gathered for a new 3xi meeting, focused on the conflicts in the southern macrozone.

"Who here believes that, despite the difficulties, this area is a paradise?" asks a speaker at the start of the event. Then, all attendees stand to begin discussing one of the few points that unite them: what agreements can be worked on in the region.

"The Hope of Understanding" was the name of the meeting organized by the 3xi foundation, in collaboration with seven universities, including the Catholic University of Temuco, the Autonomous University, and UFRO.

"We are very pleased to have achieved this broad gathering, where through dialogue we have shown that we are much closer than we think, that we have much more willingness and maturity to find solutions," said Camilo Herrera, executive director of 3xi.

"Key Moment"

Since 2017, the foundation has been developing these dialogue spaces among "unlikely peers," the most recent of which focused on the water crisis and took place in La Higuera, Coquimbo Region.

However, yesterday's event occurred in a crucial context: by the end of the month, the Commission for Peace and Understanding must deliver a document to President Gabriel Boric with proposals to address the crisis in the southern macrozone, with the added difficulty that any agreement must be reached unanimously.

This has complicated the work and the possibility of reaching concrete measures. Sebastián Naveillán, president of the Malleco Farmers Association and a member of the commission, says, "On January 31, we must undoubtedly meet the goals and deadlines, but I see it as complex to reach an agreement that day, given the complexities of the issue."

Adding to this countdown are various attacks in the southern macrozone so far this year, including two recorded this week, one of which left a police officer injured.

Carolina Tohá, Interior Minister, stated during the opening of the event that it is "a contribution to this key moment as the commission concludes its agreement."

Along these lines, the Secretary of State affirmed, "We hope society commits to that agreement because, for it to be fulfilled, it will not be enough for President Boric to sign it. It will require future governments, future mayors, Mapuche leaders, and the business world to all remain faithful to the path the commission will outline."

The Expectations

A path that generates expectations. Rosa Catrileo, a former Mapuche constituent and lawyer, valued the meeting as a "positive and necessary" instance, stating, "We are all awaiting the results of the proposals the commission will present, hoping that what emerges will be a possibility to lay the groundwork for a path of solutions."

Catrileo mentioned that the event showed "a willingness to make feasible proposals that also meet certain minimum standards."

Ruth Hurtado, general secretary of the Republican Party and also present at the event, pointed out that the commission must "advance reconciliation and leave resentment behind. It is undoubtedly an important step, but it would be naive to think it is a definitive solution."

Meanwhile, Mapuche spokesperson Pascual Pichun stated, "This commission will not ultimately resolve the conflict, but it may open a door to move toward a solution."

Although the final content of the commission's proposal remains unknown, Alfredo Moreno, co-chair of the commission and also present in Temuco yesterday, commented on the proposal: "We hope to achieve consensus; we have agreed to do something unanimously, which makes it much more difficult but also much more valuable for those who receive it, as it will have a greater chance of being implemented."

"We are working several days a week, many hours, to reach that final consensus, and we hope to have it soon," assured the former Minister of Social Development.

In this regard, he noted that the meeting, which included various dialogue and analysis tables, showed "a tremendous willingness to seek a solution, to step away from traditional positions and understand the reality and problems of other groups."

Different Experiences

Daniel Mas, vice president of the Confederation of Production and Commerce (CPC), emphasized the importance of the meeting because "we all know the context. That’s why this gathering is so timely (...). We have heard different experiences and leave very hopeful."

Similarly, CPC general manager Macarena Letelier highlighted "the value of bringing together people who might not meet under other circumstances."

"I believe the commission appointed by the President, which includes diverse actors, has this responsibility, but I think the first responsibility is to sit down and talk," she clarified.

She also stressed that "the results will always be uncertain in the end, in a negotiation or dialogue table. I believe the courage lies in sitting down to talk honestly and with a principle of reality."

"It was a frank dialogue, tough at times, which also allows us to hear different perspectives, seek frameworks of understanding, express our own positions, and build bridges," detailed Deputy Juan Antonio Coloma (UDI).

He added, "When speaking with the Mapuche individuals present (yesterday), their first comment was that the State has been unable to provide concrete answers on basic issues. We’re not even talking about land restitution—we’re talking about treatment."

Source:El Mercurio