Rebel Territory Struggle
Weichán Auka Mapu
LeaderCollective leadership
FoundationMid-2011 (2011)
Split fromCoordinadora Arauco-Malleco
Country Chile
MotivesVindication, recovery and liberation of the Mapuche historical territories over the Chilean State
Active regionsSouthern Zone:
IdeologyCollectivist anarchism
Anti-capitalism
Anti-colonialism
Anti-fascism
Indigenism
Independence anarchism
Political positionFar-left
StatusActive
Sizec. 20 militants
Allies
OpponentsGovernment of Chile:

Weichán Auka Mapu (WAM) (English: Rebel Territory Struggle) is a Mapuche armed and revolutionary organization that operates mainly in southern Chile, being a supporter of armed struggle through arson attacks, sabotage actions and clashes with firearms against police officers, in order to achieve full autonomy for the Mapuche people.[3]

The WAM was founded in 2011, as a splinter group from the Coordinadora Arauco Malleco.[4] It committed its first action on December 17, 2013, with an arson attack on a management house in Vilcún.[5]

History

Origins

In 2010, a dissident faction formed inside the Coordinadora Arauco Malleco (CAM). They disagreed with the possibility of engaging in dialogue between Mapuche representatives and the Chilean Government, since they considered that negotiations would interfere with the project of Mapuche National Liberation. Following the course taken by the CAM, the dissatisfied former militants chose to found their own organization in order to continue their violent actions.[6]

In their first statement released on April 20, 2016 where they explain the reason for their "armed resistance" and the meaning of their coat of arms. The cultrun represents "the totality of our Wallmapu and the 4 parts of the spiritual basis of existence as a People-Nation". The spear symbolizes their ancestral resistance and the shotgun symbolizes their present resistance, calling it "rudimentary but worthy." In addition to the way in which the spear and shotgun were placed, the statement "states that said weapons are not invasive, but are an integral part of our Mapuche Nation People."[7]

Arson attacks

2017

On June 17, 2017, a truck with a hopper and several machines were destroyed in Puerto Saavedra, in a new arson attack in the area that affected the construction company CIAL Ltd. Carabineros said that five people participated in the event, and that they had attacked two guards.[8][9]

On July 26 of the same year, Chilean authorities said that an evangelical church was set on fire in a southern region that the Mapuche indigenous group claim as their ancestral territory.[10][11]

On August 19, an arson attack affected 18 trucks belonging to the Calafquén transportation company, located at kilometer 686 of Route 5 south of Temuco. A brochure was found on the site that attributed the incident to the Mapuche group.[12][13]

On August 26, at least 29 trucks were burned in San José de la Mariquina. In place, they left a brochure where the Weichan Auka Mapu group took responsibility for the attack.[14] On August 10, 2018, a group of Mapuche militants burned an evangelical church in the municipality of Budimallín. At the site of the attack, canvases related to the Mapuche cause were found.[15][16]

2018

On August 11, 2018, six WAM militants were indicted for their participation in an attack on a farm in Cuyinpahué, owned by Forestal Arauco.[17]

2019

On September 12, 2019, members of the WAM set fire to two sheds in the Santa Adela farm, located in the Nueva Imperial district, leaving behind leaflets belonging to the group. Later the government confirmed a complaint for a terrorist arson after the attack was reported.[18][19][20]

2020

A fire caused to the San Fidel major seminary was reported in Padre Las Casas, with no casualties reported in the attack. The attack occurred at approximately 3:30 a.m., partially destroying the facilities and leaving a canvas.[21][22][23][24]

References

  1. ↑ "Copia archivada" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 1 October 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  2. ↑ Agrupación se adjudicó el jueves el fallido ataque a camión en la Ruta 5 Sur. (10 September 2017). "Fiscalía indaga múltiples delitos atribuidos al denominada grupo "Resistencia Mapuche Malleco"". Economía y Negocios Online (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 14 November 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2019.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ↑ "Autodenominado grupo de resistencia mapuche se adjudica multiples ataques en el sur". Biobiochile.cl (in Spanish). 21 April 2016. Archived from the original on 2021-08-06. Retrieved 2021-01-24.
  4. ↑ "Conoce la historia de Weichan Auka Mapu: los descolgados radicales de la CAM". Soychile.cl (in Spanish). 3 September 2017. Archived from the original on 2022-09-05. Retrieved 2021-01-24.
  5. ↑ "Grupo mapuche se adjudico 38 atentados en Bio Bio, La Araucania y Los Rios". Cooperativa.cl. Archived from the original on 2018-08-03. Retrieved 2021-01-24.
  6. ↑ "El Austral de la Araucanía". australtemuco.cl (in Spanish). 3 September 2017. p. 4. Archived from the original on 29 October 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  7. ↑ Weichan Auka Mapu (20 April 2016). "Declaración Publica Weichan Auka Mapu, Lucha del territorio Rebelde". Reivindicación de acciones de sabotaje. Archived from the original on 6 August 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  8. ↑ "La Araucania: Sujetos quemaron cinco vehículos en Puerto Saavedra". Cooperativa.cl (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2019-04-26. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  9. ↑ ""Weichan Auka Mapu" se adjudica nuevo ataque incendiario que afectó a La Araucanía". BioBio Chile (in Spanish). 16 June 2017. Archived from the original on 26 April 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  10. ↑ "Church burned to ground in Mapuche conflict zone in Chile". National Post. Associated Press. 26 July 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  11. ↑ TVN, 24Horas cl (26 July 2017). "Ataque a iglesia evangélica de Vilcún es adjudicado por Weichan Auka Mapu". 24Horas.cl (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 26 April 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. ↑ "Queman 18 camiones en nuevo ataque incendiario en La Araucanía". BioBioChile – La Red de Prensa Más Grande de Chile. 19 August 2017. Archived from the original on 26 April 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  13. ↑ Mostrador, El (19 August 2017). "La Araucanía: desconocidos queman 18 camiones de la empresa Luchetti". El Mostrador (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  14. ↑ "Encuentran panfleto de Weichan Auka Mapu en atentado de Los Ríos". BioBioChile – La Red de Prensa Más Grande de Chile (in Spanish). 28 August 2017. Archived from the original on 26 April 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  15. ↑ "Queman iglesia evangélica en Padre Las Casas". La Nación.cl (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 26 April 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  16. ↑ "Incendio destruyó iglesia en sector rural de La Araucanía: se presume intencionalidad". Bio Bio Chile (in Spanish). 10 July 2018. Archived from the original on 26 April 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  17. ↑ "Seis integrantes de Weichan Auka Mapu fueron declarados culpables en juicio oral" (in Spanish). Cooperativa.cl. Archived from the original on 2018-10-29. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  18. ↑ "Dos galpones fueron quemados en las cercanías de Temuco". Cooperativ.cl (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2019-11-03. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  19. ↑ "Incendio destruye dos galpones en fundo de La Araucanía: reportan panfletos de Weichan Auka Mapu". Biobio Chile.cl (in Spanish). 12 September 2019. Archived from the original on 3 November 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  20. ↑ "Gobierno confirma querella por incendio terrorista tras nuevo ataque a fundo en La Araucanía". Biobio Chile.cl (in Spanish). 12 September 2019. Archived from the original on 3 November 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  21. ↑ "La Araucanía: Desconocidos queman edificios del Seminario Mayor San Fidel de Padre Las Casas". La Tercera (in Spanish). 13 December 2019. Archived from the original on 24 February 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  22. ↑ "Sujetos incendian edificio del seminario mayor San Fidel de Padre Las Casas". Meganoticias (in Spanish). 13 December 2019. Archived from the original on 24 February 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  23. ↑ "Incendian exseminario en el sur de Chile". Aci Prensa (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 24 February 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  24. ↑ "Incendio consumió al menos dos pisos de seminario mayor San Fidel de Padre Las Casas". Bio Bío Chile (in Spanish). 27 May 2016. Archived from the original on 24 February 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
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