By Patrick Vanderpool
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

SANTIAGO, Chile – Several Chilean lawmakers have joined the indigenous Mapuche-lead hunger strike against dictatorship-era terror laws. Tucapel Jimenez, Hugo Gutierrez, Sergio Aguilo and Manuel Monsalve, who belong to a human rights commission in the lower house of the Chilean Congress, have demanded that President Sebastian Piñera begin negotiations with the inmates.

The Chilean government has been critical of the congressmen’s actions, calling them “irresponsible and populist.”  During a recent visit to the Arica-Parinacota region of Chile, President Piñera added that he expected the lawmakers’ behavior to be “as deputies of the Republic, with responsibility” and to take measures to solve the problem instead of making it worse.

The four congressmen involved in the hunger-strike visited several Mapuche prisoners in Temuco jail. When they refused to leave, the prison guards apparently removed the legislators forcefully. 

Commenting on the removal, Congressman Aguilo said that“[w]e left a meeting we were having with the (Mapuches); we were tricked, they told us that it was to talk about a practical matter and there they told us that we would be forced to leave. They didn’t beat us, but in the scuffle my glasses were broken.”

Congressman Gutierrez said that “[t]his is the new government’s way and I think it’s a clear sign that there’s no form of dialogue here. What we experienced in one brief moment, the Mapuches have experienced historically, and I hope the government stops repressing people.”

After being removed from the facility for trying to grab onto some of the prison’s bars, the congressmen traveled to the building of the Unitary Workers’ Central and continued to vocalize the strike.

This sort of internal pressure appears to be effective to a small extent. 

Piñera recently proposed legislation that would effectively end the portion of the disputed law that allows civilians and minors to be tried by military commission.  While Piñera has taken this small step, his government has not engaged in negotiation with the Mapuche prisoners, nor does it appear that the government is willing to consider that option.

Piñera has, however, called on the Roman Catholic Church to mediate the dispute between the Mapuche and the Chilean government.

For more information, please see:

People Daily – Chilean President Criticizes Lawmakers on Strike Supporting Indigenous Mapuche – 11 September 2010

Latin American Herald Tribune – Politicians who Joined Inmates’ Hunger Strike Ejected from Chile Prison – 10 September 2010

BBC – Chilean MPs Join Hunger Protest by Indigenous Detainees – 9 September 2010

Reuters – Chilean Lawmakers Join Indigenous Hunger Strike – 9 September 2010