The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) accepted a lawsuit against the State of Chile, presented by 144 Mapuches, gathered under the Council of All Lands, and who were detained in the Region of La Araucanía in 1992.
The case dates back to 1992, when the respective people were arrested after they carried out a process of occupying territories surrounding their communities, alleging an usurpation of their lands.
The then mayor of La Araucanía, Fernando Chuecasand the former Minister of the Interior, Henry Krauss, filed 11 complaints, which led to the arrest of the subjects. Among them was Aucan Huilcaman Paillama, representative of the Council of All Lands and who was held for six months.
The ruling that convicted the 144 people was appealed before the Temuco Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. However, both courts confirmed the sentence, the bewilderment. After exhausting the national instances, they resorted to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).
“We resort to a jurisdictional body of the Inter-American Commission. From 1996, the commission has recommended to the State of Chile to repair the damage caused and to reach an amicable agreement with the Mapuche, however, all the governments have resisted. “, said Aucán Huilcamán in conversation with Radio Cooperativeto.
“Yesterday, the Inter-American Court, as an international court, has accepted the case of the 144 Mapuche in which we are going to discuss three fundamental questions: the restitution of the usurped lands, the territory and its resources; and thirdly, the flag issue,” he added.
“As a consequence of these three events (we seek) that the victims be compensated. It is an unprecedented event in the history of Mapuche claims,” he added.
