CAM - Public Statement Unto the Appointment of [Chilean Minister] Viera Gallo in Indigenous Affairs

CAM - Public Statement Unto the Appointment of [Chilean Minister] Viera Gallo in Indigenous Affairs 

 
As the Arauco Malleco and Cautín Coordinator (C.A.M) we would like to manifest our profound rejection unto the appointment of Viera Gallo as Coordinating Minister of indigenous affairs. The State's only objective with this appointment is to impose the constitutional reform that cancels out the rights of indigenous peoples. Viera Gallo was the one who made an attempt to impose an "interpretive statement" to Convention 169 of the ILO, and perpetrated pacts with the Right in order to impose a constitutional lock, which nullifies the collective rights of indigenous peoples. The Chilean Government intends to contain the Mapuche struggle through two great lines of action; on the one hand, repression, compromising all State (principally judicial and police) institutions, while allowing the immune action of business and estate lord "security guards." On the other hand, by the implementation of social policies, mitigating and subsidence in nature, with offers that do not remotely resolve the historic demands of Autonomy and Territory. All with the intention of maintaining the interests of the transnational corporations in tact, especially accepting the process of capitalist invasion in our ancient territories, which if not detained, will condemn us to extermination.
 
The State/Government is used to killing our people in order to frighten and subdue the rights of the Mapuche People, [during the colonial era, a Mapuche Warrior] Galvarino had his arms cut off [by the Spanish] and was then sent off to his community to show that the greed and arrogance of the Winka (white man) would be implacable since first irrupting on Wallmapu [Mapuche Territory]. However, the bullet that murdered Mendoza Collío will one day "backfire" and there will be entire armies that will not be able to face the dignity of our Mapuche Nation.
In this sense, within the new stage of the "Mapuche Conflict," where the economic model and political/ideological superstructure of the State has been hit (that is to say, the State and transnational corporations have been affected), the government has persisted in the contention of the autonomist and sovereigntist policies of the Mapuche movement. The strategic line of the State will then be the neutralization of the conflict, and for that matter uses its political influence over a set of political or social actors.
 
Thereby, it can be concluded that the current administration is only compromised under a vision of indigenous integration in taking a subsidence role towards indigenous peoples; where the social policy of the State is part of a greater political strategy that seeks to hush the discontent of the communities.
 
On their part, the communities in conflict, mainly grouped in the C.A.M. (Arauco Malleco Coordinator) maintain their position to confront the process of forestry investment in the areas of conflict, through land reclamations and the practice of political and territorial rights. This situation has generated a series of successes that generally do not get covered by a large part of media communications, or are ignored with the clear objective of minimizing the conflict, wanting to minimize the Mapuche movement.
 
Therefore, we wish to call out on all mobilized Mapuche communities to not be fooled by these talks that have the neutralization of our legitimate demands as their only objective; in their attempt to take our Mapuche Political Prisoners from our territories and placing them in different prisons across the country, separating them from their families and communities.
 
The CAM will continue to exist as long as poverty and misery exists due to the lack of lands with a State that legitimizes territorial plunder.
 
Oust the Forestry Corporations and Estate Lords from Wallmapu!
Territory and Autonomy for the Mapuche Nation!
With Lemun, Collío and Catrileo....
WEUWAIÑ!!
 
C.A.M. - Coordinadora de Communidades en Conflicto Arauco Malleco [& Cautín]
Arauco Malleco [& Cautín] Coordinator of Communities in Conflict
 
Wallmapu, August 27th, 2009
 
Distributed By:
The Women's Coordinating Committee Chile-Canada [Toronto]
Email: wccc_98@hotmail.com