Chile: Hector Llaitul, radical leader of the Mapuche, arrested in the south a few days before the plebiscite.

Chilean police arrested this Wednesday Hector Llighttoolone of the main radical Mapuche leaders, an arrest that could further fuel conflict with this indigenous group in the south of the country, and which comes 11 days before the referendum on the proposal new constitution.

After 13:30 local time (1730 GMT), Llightul was arrested at a restaurant in Canete 550 km south of the Chilean capital, “with no resistance”, according to Chilean Investigative Police (POI).

A few minutes later he was taken by helicopter to the police station in the nearby Temucothe capital of the region araucania and the epicenter of the so-called “Mapuche conflict” that for decades has pitted Chile’s indigenous population against the state and large forestry and agricultural companies.

Leader Arauco-Malleco Coordinator (CAM), an indigenous group that periodically claims arson against landowners in the south, is accused of alleged crimes of “timber theft, usurpation, and assault on authority.”

“As a government, we want to reaffirm that the rule of law works and no one is above the law,” Chilean Interior Minister Izquia Sichesh said at a press conference at the presidential palace in Coin.

Under investigation since 2020

arrest llighttool, which will go to court on Thursday, is part of an investigation launched in 2020 following a complaint filed by the previous administration led by Sebastián Piñera (2018-2022).

Despite initial rejection, the current government of President Gabriel Boric expanded the lawsuit against Llaithul last July after he called for continued sabotage.

Siges confirmed that the government “will take part in the hearings and demand that precautionary measures be taken in accordance with the criminal acts that are being analyzed by legal teams.”

“We managed, from our point of view, to demonstrate not only the existence of crimes, but also the participation of the accused in them,” the prosecutor of La Araucania explained at another press conference in the south. Robert Garrido.

Llighttool54 years old, is one of the most visible figures of the Mapuche armed struggle and was the founder in 1997 of the CAM, a group that seeks the “national liberation” of the Mapuche people and from which more radical groups such as the CAM (Weichang Auka Mapu).

The conflict with this indigenous people has recently escalated, with almost daily arson of equipment and property and roadblocks, as well as fatal shootings.

Mapuche expert and professor University of Chile Salvador Millaleo told Efe that he did not rule out “reactions” from the UAM and other groups and assured that the conflict, especially the theft of firewood, was not resolved by arrest Llighttool.

“The fact that these groups are involved in the wood theft chain is only part of it. There are people who provide transport, forge documents… It’s a very long chain, in which you might even think that there is part of the participation of the public sector,” added Millaleo, who advised Boric Government during the first few months.

Will it affect the plebiscite?

The arrest was universally celebrated both by the left ruling party and the right opposition, as well as by the bosses of the south.

The president Chilean Forest Corporation (Stern), Juan José Ugarteemphasized that “justice takes time, but it comes”, and pointed out that “it was not clear to the victims that (Llaitul) was not detained, confessing to involvement in serious crimes.

“This is the time when the judiciary must demonstrate that it can act decisively against the main terrorist operating in Chile and finally be convicted of serious crimes committed by his organization,” stressed the president of Multigremial Araucanía. Patrick Santibanez.

arrest Llighttool occurs 11 days before Chileans approve or reject in an election a proposal for a new Constitution which seeks to replace the current text inherited from the military dictatorship.

The impact it could have on the historic Sept. 4 vote is unknown, although experts warn it could affect the most doubtful.

Minister of Internal Affairs In this sense, he urged “not to use this situation for political purposes and to allow the institutions to function.”

(As reported by EFE)