Mapuche in Chile demand the release of political prisoners

The Mapuche community held mass demonstrations in several regions of Chile on Sunday to support political prisoners on a hunger strike for several weeks.

Mapuche demonstrators in Curacautín condemned racism in the country, as well as the state’s repression and violence and its refusal to listen to the Mapuche political prisoners.

In other regions of the country, indigenous people demanded to treat the Machi Celestino Cordova in a fair and humane way. Cordova is in grave danger because of the hunger strike he has been carrying out for weeks.

It was reported on Friday night that two Mapuche prisoners who had entered into a ‘dry’ hunger strike had been transported to a hospital following weeks of a liquid-only hunger strike.

Demonstrators installed large stones on the road, to block the circulation of vehicles. They also carried out small rallies urging the authorities to listen to their demands.

In response, the Carabineros (Chilean police) showed up in different places and began to break up the Mapuche marches.