On August 16 several progressive organizations held a press meeting in support of the struggle of the Political Prisoners of the Mapuche in Chile discussing their demands and the current situation in the struggle. Among them were also several people and activists, who face repression themselves.
Political Prisoners on hunger strike in the prison Angol
While the current situation of the struggle of the Political Prisoners of the Mapuche in Chile, who make up 9% of the country overall population, is currently calming down a bit, as the government after more then hundred days of hunger strike of some of the 26 Political Prisoners have met some of their demands, the hunger strikes central issue has so far not been addressed: The application of International Labour Organization Convention 169 (ILO-C169) on allowing indigenous and tribal people their customs.
The panel consisting of the attorney Nicolás Toro, the attorney María Rivera, the attorney, activist and family member of a Political Prisoner Daniela Sierra, the Coordination October 18 for the liberation of the Political Prisoners and the organization in support of the Mapuche Political Prisoners Wewaiñ in a conference streamed to the internet debated Sunday before last how the Chilean government, although it is international law and could be implemented within the existing penal framework of Chile, still continues to violate rights ensured in ILO-C169.
Some of the people participating in the panel have in the past been or currently are the target of repression themselves. Among them is Daniela Sierra: The advocate and defense attorney of the Mapuche people was arrested on July 27, the day when Mapuche Communities and families occupied seven municipalities in Malleco, for supposedly attacking and injuring a number of policemen as well as threatening them and calling for the support of the striking Mapuche. Sierra herself is the wife Mapuche Political Prisoner Victor Llanquileo Pilquiman, sentenced to 21 years, and mother of a baby girl less then a month old, which makes her arbitrary three day incarceration by the old Chilean state also an assault of the baby’s health.
Arrest of attorny D. Sierra
Two events of great significance took place this week in Brazil: For one thing, exactly one week after the celebrations of the 25th Anniversary of the Battle of Santa Elina, a mass of peasants, led by the League of Poor Peasants of Rondônia and Western Amazonia retook the land of Nossa Senhora, the last part of the old Santa Elina estate, where they had be expelled from 25 years ago. This is nothing but a daring challenge to the old state, who all those years ago thought they would have an easy time expelling the peasants that used to live there, but back then met fierce resistance. The heroism and fearlessness of those, particularly in this fashion, retaking the land 25 years of class struggle later should give the government reasonable doubt, if the resistance will not be even greater next time they come around. Already, the first contingent of Military Police trying to harass the peasantry on their new land was send home with tucked tails. The translation of the original news item can be found here.
Image from the reoccupation on the 25. Anniversary
The other major event is the attack on the progressive newspaper A Nova Democracy, where last week their offices were compromised by someone posing as a technician of an internet provider. The infiltrator cut all telephone and internet lines in the editorial office of AND before leaving the scene. It is not the first time that this media outlet, because of its clear class position, has been in the crosshairs: Some months ago, for more then two weeks, the AND offices were staked out by another individual aiming to gain knowledge about the daily routine at the office. At Dem Volke Dienen, also a translation of the original news item was published. It can be found here.
