I Am Not A Terrorist: Mapuche Political Prisoner Jaime Saravia Marileo

I Am Not A Terrorist: Mapuche Political Prisoner Jaime Saravia Marileo

By Lucia Sepulveda

Translated from Spanish

For justice and for part of Chilean society, Jaime Saravia Marileo is a terrorist, because a court sentenced him to serve a sentence of 10 years and one day by the burning of about one hundred acres of pine and eucalyptus Poluco fundo - Pidenco in 2001.

For your community and more and more Chileans and citizens of the globalized world, he is a Mapuche political prisoner convicted in the struggle to recover their land. Jaime Marileo is 33, and was taken prisoner in August 2003 when the government of former President Ricardo Lagos, through the provincial government of Malleco Angol, sued the villagers using the anti-terrorism legislation inherited from Augusto Pinochet. The other complainant was the mighty Forest Mininco.

It is the ninth of the children of Lorenza Tripaillan Saravia. He works as a farmer in his home community, Chief Joseph Guiñon (located in the Pidima sector, commune de Ercilla, Araucanía Region) and uses the vermicompost to improve soil exhausted and weak. Craftsman wood, among his favorite instruments is the Mapuche kullkul, whose sound stems from a piece of beef. This wind instrument is used to call and collect the Mapuche. Since August 2008, is departing weekend and six months as a result of prolonged hunger strike along with Patricia Troncoso - had agreed to imprisonment at night. Soon after, the government obtained DNA from incorporating its genetic data Marileo the national registry, just opened with samples from those convicted of the earth, the Mapuche. In March 2009, the Temuco Court of Appeals for the second time denied parole requested by him, his brother John Marileo and Patricia Troncoso. With basic education studies, Marileo is part of the new generation of young people using new technologies developed information. This the Internet conversation, in stages, since March this year, because access to the cabins that are in the village nearest is rare.

What would you say to those who qualify as "terrorist" and deny its status as a political prisoner?

The State, forest companies, landowners, politicians from right and consensus, and uninformed people, I reply that I am not a terrorist, because I have not tortured or murdered anyone to impose social order. As a social activist, only exercise its legitimate right to defend myself, to complaint and protest the lack of water in communities, for the disappearance of native trees and medicinal herbs such as cinnamon - without which there can no longer Machis -- and land reclamation for the Mapuche people are still rebuilding. I consider myself a political prisoner because thanks to "Operation Patience", the government of Ricardo Lagos Escobar persecuted and repressed Mapuche communities were recovering ancestral lands usurped twice, once by the "Pacification of Araucania" and then again by the Pinochet dictatorship*. According to the neoliberal state policy was out attacks on forestry investment, but that investment in the Mapuche territory vigilant against all our cultural and our stay as ancestral village.

How does the current situation in Mapuche territory and what are the prospects?

This is a deep pain because they continue killing our brothers. It hurts bad government policy and the little concern to address issues from time to time carries fondo.Eso situations such as has been seen in recent days. It was the same when they killed Alex and Matthias Lemun Catrileo. This policy will not solve no problems with the application of repressive legislation (Terrorism Act), imprisonment or murder, as anger builds up and they want to continue to claim more territory.

And how to evaluate offers of dialogue from the government?

Bachelet said that there must be dialogue, but she only talks with investors and landlords who are in the Mapuche territory to protect its economic interests, exercising repression in different ways ... Are we who we exerted violence first? We have the right to self-defense.

I think it will continue to happen the same, because the economic model that exists and is applied in Mapuche territory does not respect anything or anyone, the only thing is money is respected. Each community struggle as deemed appropriate. You have searched the forums for dialogue and there have been limits to the government, but this has closed its doors and has not fulfilled its commitments.

Constitutional reform

What is your opinion regarding the constitutional reform that analyzes the European Parliament regarding indigenous peoples? Did you participate in their community consultation Cacique José Guiñon?

Constitutional reform is a tool of domination and will happen as with the indigenous law, ie there will be no respect for native people when he wants to implement an economic mega-project, for example, Ralco, Pascua Lama, Geiser del Geysers; Mehuin; new dams, and so on. We have not participated in any consultation and not informed us what it is.

Can you list the major deficiencies that marked the process in which you were sentenced to ten years and a day?

The evidence the prosecution presented at trial were different from those presented when we investigated and yet we condemned by testimonial evidence presented in the research and not for the trial. For statements used against us paid and protected witnesses. Our releases were not taken into account, as if we had never submitted anything for our court. And the ruling was the exact copy of the decision by which the same court had previously condemned the lonkos Pascual Pichun and Aniceto Norin. It totally violated basic human rights like the presumption of innocence and the right to review of sentence by a higher court. The Temuco Appeals Court did not review the conviction as it should have.

Why for the court which tried Angol you, the fire in Poluco Pidenco was a terrorist and it was not for another court in the same city that tried to other villagers for the same act?

I think that was because when we tried, Ricardo Lagos Escobar (Captain Planet) gave a political signal to forestry investment in Mapuche territory, to appease the protests related to land reclamation.

How does the decision of the villagers that the year 2004, when the trial was not presented to court? Do you think your reasons justify the cost of repression they faced their community since then, with constant raids?

The trial of the case was political Pidenco Poluco therefore, the decision not to courts was good because I never found our participation in the facts and by not calling them denounced the lack of guarantees for due process. I think the cost of repression of communities was not because peñi lamieng and pu (the sisters and brothers) go underground, but rather was due to the state protected the interests of the forest where these communities Mininco made the decision to take back their land .

You are accused publicly as a member of the Coordinadora Arauco Malleco. What is the approach of CAM?

My position of Mapuche political prisoners have not any kind of militancy, but rather only in my capacity as Mapuche community Guiñón Jose, San Ramon sector, commune de Ercilla, who has always tried to fight for the autonomy of our people . Mine flatly militancy in the Coordinadora Arauco Malleco (CAM), despite maintaining respect for its organic, being also part of the struggle of the Mapuche people.

What happened with the lawsuit that you filed with the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights against the State of Chile?

It initially sought an amicable solution, but the government of Michelle Bachelet Jeria showed no willingness to do so, therefore, and one was admitted to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. It is claimed by the State to recognize its international responsibility for this violation of human rights, the immediate and definitive cessation of deprivation of liberty which affects Patricia Troncoso, Juan and Jaime Marileo Jose Huenchunao. Similarly, the cessation of the arrest warrant hanging over John Millacheo Lican and ensuring non-repetition, ie not to repeat the same situation in other cases. We ask the State to amend the Act 18.314 on terrorist behavior, so that fits human rights. Also, the cessation of general and special disabilities contained in the sentence and the removal of criminal and police records, and the elimination of the genetic fingerprints of the National Register of DNA.

How was the sample of his DNA?

It was an arbitrary procedure. I was not informed that it was. They took me fooled Angol prison, around 24:30 hours on 25 November 2008. I was kept in the gym until three in the morning to get me just the biological samples. I just said the people in charge: "... the orders of the government ...". I realized the gravity of the situation after researching the topic and read a newspaper article which announced the adoption of the rules of the law that allows the DNA bank. I turned to run down, imprison me unfairly, I got benefits only after the hunger strikes and instead steal my DNA! This procedure is an instrument of social control and criminal indictment for the Chilean state that colludes with the U.S. to once again violate the rights of individuals. Looking to make that usually mounts up against those who rebel against the more established goals. In particular puts me in a special situation of vulnerability and that for a period of 30 years is sufficient to determine equivalence, for example, the genetic record of mine found a hair in a Mapuche community, in a dress or hat, to incriminate in clashes sector in the area or nearby but I did not participate in them.

What is your assessment of the reform of criminal procedure and its application in the Mapuche area?

The reform of criminal procedure allowed the militarization of communities, by allowing police to raid houses and make operational as one in which Alex Lemun killed. It allowed the implementation of laws like the Anti-Terrorism and Homeland Security of the State. In short it was an instrument of social control against the Mapuche people.

* Note: In 1977, the Mapuche of Tricauco, which were part of a settlement of the Reformation Agararia since the government of President Salvador Allende was ousted from Pidenco estate, homes being burned by police and troops of Hussars regiment of Angol. In one part of the estate Pidenco (380 hectares) were parceled former employees of the farm, but instead the Mapuche had to return to the reduction. Between 1982 and 1986, these lands were sold by the State Forestry Mininco and are part of ancestral lands claimed by the community, before the process reducción.el chief Jose Antiqueo Guiñon and had a total area of 12,550 hectares. . Today, the deeds to these lands belong to the forest Mininco, Arauco, Millalemu, and soldering irons, and also to some individuals.

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Lucia Sepulveda: I'm a journalist, working in the Pesticide Action Network and Alternatives in Latin America, RAP-AL. Collaborated in the magazine Punto Final, Rebellion, and other electronic media. In late 2005 I published "119 of us" (LOM Editions), with stories of missing persons in the Operation Colombo. Integro HR Coordinator of Professional Associations. But I also have another job: I am a shiatsu therapist and sat nam rasayan, two systems of energy healing. In Argentina, where I lived for some time, I became a yoga teacher and healer. The pre-history that is more long and difficult, similar to Chile after the military coup. I have four grandchildren, Victor and Daniela, and twins Natalie and Mauritius, all beautiful like her mother, Eva Maria. I have a couple "hold" (John), like me.

http://periodismosanador.blogspot.com/