La Araucanía Human Rights Coalition Denounces 'Criminalization' of Mapuche Communities Under Kast

The Coordinadora de Organizaciones de Derechos Humanos de La Araucanía — a coalition monitoring territorial and human-rights violations in the region since 2010 — issued a public declaration denouncing what it called serious setbacks in human and social rights under the Kast government. The statement alleged disproportionate use of police force against Mapuche communities and criminalization of protest and land-rights claims through criminal prosecution, and criticized the government's proposed changes to indigenous land law (Ley 19.253) that would ease sale, lien, and rental of Mapuche land on the open market. The coalition also flagged continued reliance on constitutional States of Exception as a militarized control mechanism in Araucanía, rollbacks to environmental safeguards despite Chile's ratification of the Escazú Agreement, the government's decision not to oppose parole/freedom petitions for individuals convicted of crimes against humanity during the dictatorship, and the treatment of human-rights defenders including lawyer Karina Riquelme. The declaration came as werkén Jorge Huenchullán Cayul remained in pretrial detention at Angol's C.C.P. facility over his May 19 arrest at Temucuicui, with prosecutors seeking an 18-year sentence.