Collipulli Court Orders Preventive Detention for Mapuche Werkén Huenchullán; Prosecutors Seek 18 Years

On May 20, 2026, the Court of Guarantees of Collipulli ordered preventive detention for Jorge Huenchullán Cayul, werkén of the Autonomous Mapuche Community of Temucuicui, following his arrest by a joint Army-Carabineros-PDI operation the previous day. Prosecutors are seeking an 18-year prison sentence on charges of drug trafficking and illegal possession of firearms; his partner Carolina Padilla Manquel also faces charges. In response, Huenchullán's family issued a formal statement accusing the Chilean state of operating through a 'racist structure' that systematically criminalizes Temucuicui to serve the interests of multinational forestry companies and local landed elites. Mapuche solidarity organizations condemned the detention as politically motivated, noting that Huenchullán had been the community's principal public spokesperson on land rights for over two decades. The case intensifies an already inflamed situation at Temucuicui following three consecutive security operations in May 2026 (May 6, May 14, May 19).