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Peace Commission Faces Key Days and Works Until "Complete Dispatch" of Its Report

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The eight members of the Peace and Understanding Commission are facing "key" days. So far, they will hold sessions at least three days this week.

The idea, as they acknowledge, is to work until "complete dispatch" of the agreements they will present to President Gabriel Boric, as part of the final report they were mandated to deliver on June 21, 2023, with a submission deadline of April 30. This document must include a registry of lands granted to Mapuche communities, pending indigenous claims, and alternative compensation measures. Additionally, they will propose legal amendments, reparations for victims of violence, and a system to monitor these measures.

Final Stretch

"We are in key days, though we must still be cautious about finalizing the document," says lawyer and indigenous legislation expert, commissioner Nicolás Figari. He stated, "We expect (the completion of the report) to be this week."

Similarly, the president of the Malleco Farmers' Association and fellow commissioner, Sebastián Naveillán, agrees that "we are on the right track, and this week is key to seeing if we reach agreements on all points." He also explains that although they had been meeting on Thursdays and Fridays, "this week we were called to session from Monday to Wednesday to work on the final document and try to close it as soon as possible." Naveillán emphasizes that "the time has come when all commissioners, if we want to reach an agreement, will have to make a great effort."

In turn, Republican senator and commissioner Carmen Gloria Aravena confirms that the goal is to conclude the work as soon as possible and states that she submitted her final observations yesterday: "We had the commitment that each commissioner would thoroughly review the document and provide input, as we continue working toward unanimous agreements."

Meanwhile, former Minister of Social Development and co-chair of the commission, Alfredo Moreno, says that "this week and any following weeks are very important because we have made significant progress." He stresses that "we want full agreement on all points, and there are still highly relevant issues left, along with the document's drafting, which must be done with extreme detail and care."

Regarding the possibility of finalizing the report this week, Moreno says, "If we had the document fully closed, of course." However, he adds that "there are still many substantive and drafting elements to review."

Source:El Mercurio