Mapuche Leader Julia Chuñil Remains Missing in Chile
Mapuche leader Julia Chuñil. X/ @hierbabad
December 9, 2024 Hour: 10:22 am
She was actively involved in protecting 900 hectares of native forest in the Mafil commune.
On Monday, the Escazu Now Foundation filed a criminal complaint with the Los Lagos Court of Guarantee regarding the disappearance of the Mapuche indigenous leader Julia Chuñil.
RELATED:
Mapuche Leader Hector Llaitul’s Health Deteriorates in a Chilean Prison
This 73-year-old woman was reported missing on November 8 after going out with her dog to look for her other animals. During investigations conducted in the area, Chuñil’s personal belongings were found inside an abandoned house.
Chuñil is the president of the Putraguel Indigenous Community, where she stood out for her fight for environmental rights. In recent years, she was actively involved in protecting approximately 900 hectares of native forest in the Mafil commune.
As a consequence of her environmental activism, Chuñil was threatened by a local businessman, Juan Morstand Andwanter, who sought to use the land for logging.
“These threats date back to 2018, when the Mapuche leader had to endure verbal and physical attacks. That is why her family emphasizes that third-party involvement was behind her disappearance. Currently, the Escazu Now Foundation is working with Julia Chuñil’s family through legal actions to clarify the events surrounding the disappearance of the environmental defender,” the Chilean outlet 24 Horas recalled.
The victim’s daughter, Janet Chuñil, stated that the exacerbation of these tensions was the responsibility of the National Corporation for Indigenous Development (CONADI)), which left the Lafrir area in a legal limbo due to the Mapuche community’s refusal to cede the land.
In Chile, the Mapuche people have fiercely defended their rights to ancestral lands, often becoming victims of violence associated with extractive industries. One such example was Santiago Maldonado, a 28-year-old man who disappeared on August 1, 2017, and was found drowned 77 days later in the Chubut River.
teleSUR/ JF Source: 24 Horas – An Red
