Waikilaf Cadin accuses police and prison officials of torture. He is a Mapuche Indian activist who has seen his father Antonio Cadin, mother -Werkén and Community Chief- Juana Calfunao, and a brother Jorge jailed when they fought to recover part of their ancestral lands taken during the Pinochet dictatorship. Cadin’s 14 year sister, Remultry had also a rough childhood.
Cadin´s arrest for Public Disturbance
"Remultray was raised in a hostile climate, in an environment were a child cannot grow healthy she witnessed police raids, detention, and lived through 3 house fires," Cadin said nonplussed.
He adds: "when we were attacked by paramilitary groups she hid under the bed, listening to shots. So as a family, we decided to let her live a different life where she can grow as a normal girl." Remultray is now seeking asylum is Switzerland,
In the land struggle, Cadin and Remultray’s parents, who are Mapuche elders, were convicted to 3 years imprisonment. Cadin himself was in custody for 18 months. During his detention, Waikilaf Cadin was busy inside the Temuco jail, organizing a movement around the prisoners’ rights of his fellow Mapuches.
It was then when Cadin claims, he was beaten by Prison Guards.
"I began to lead a prison rights movement fighting against human rights violations, inhuman and degrading treatment, jail overcrowding, trial delay and many other pressing issues."
The response to his activism it was to transfer him from the Temuco Jail to Santiago's Maximum Security Jail, 800 km north. During that transfer Cadin says, "I was tortured for some 9 hours in the transfer to Santiago’s Maximum Security Prison. I was beaten on the road, the van would take side roads so I can be beaten it was scary."
Cadin alleges torture inside a police van when he was transported to Santiago’s Maximum Security Jail.
He shows this reporter photos of himself, depicting multiple back bruises consistent with truncheon lashes.
Pictures supplied by Cadin
Cadin is now waiting for trial for street violence and disorderly conduct.
The Cadin case is just one of the many, in fact, the violence against Mapuche Native peoples is much more systematic says Cristóbal Carmona, a journalist with News Radio Bío-Bío, based in the Mapuche heartland of Temuco.
"Some weeks back a Latin American organization for peace based in Buenos Aires was here investigating the conditions of jailed Mapuches and corroborate charges of torture. They filed a formal complaint against the Chilean State at the Inter-American Human Rights Commission," Carmona said.
He points out that, "in fact, that body has sanctioned Chile a number of times for cases of torture against Mapuches, and for the use of the anti terrorist law against Mapuche activists."
"But the Government usually responds to the Commission with well-intentioned letters but in the end, nothing happens", Carmona stresses.
Mapuches Natives make up 10 percent of Chile’s population, they are the largest ethnic minority. They live in rich lands for agriculture and forestry in the south of Chile, and have fought for their rights since the Spanish invasion.
Smaller ethnic groups live in communities located in the desert north of the country.
Rodolfo Valdivia, is a lawyer with the NGO Observatorio Indigena that works to protect Native rights. He says democracy and related rights have not yet arrived to the Mapuche heartland. "For example, the public prosecutor’s office get to the Mapuches whenever a criminal act is reported somewhere in the region. They are detained, often prosecuted and some tortured."
Valdivia adss the new investment is also detrimental to Mapuche communities. "New investment plans that are not liked by the community like garbage dumps are placed near Mapuche communities or place a new airport in middle of lands used for traditional rituals."
A team from the International Committee of the Red Cross will arrive in the region in March, to investigate Mapuche accusations of torture and undue violence at the hands of police and prison guards.
But Mapuche activists are not hopeful. They say despite numerous visits and reports from NGO’s, Mapuche Indians continue to face harsh treatment and government indifference. The discrimination is deeply entrenched they say.
