Mayor Reinao is determined to invite CAM to the Peace Commission: “Without the participation of these groups, a historic solution cannot be expected”

According to Palacio sources, on Wednesday, November 2, Juan Carlos Reinao was in an office with Interior Minister Carolina Tohá. A week later, on the 9th of the same month, he was again in La Moneda. The congregation chief, however, did not want to confirm any of the encounters. People who know him state that he is trying to settle the matter in complete secrecy.

During his presidential visit to La Araucanía on Thursday, November 10 and Friday, November 11, President Gabriel Boric announced the establishment of a Commission for Peace and Understanding whose purpose will be to propose deadlines and specific mechanisms for land restitution for Mapuche communities. . in the region.

Reinao, a doctor who has spent three terms as mayor of Renaico in La Araucanía – serving as a mediator between more than ten community members and La Moneda – and is also a Mayor of Mapuche and president of the Union of Municipalities, each of them representing the community, in this example. those who will do so should define it autonomously.

– Should representatives of groups such as the Coordinadora Arauco-Malleco (CAM) or the Mapuche Malleco Resistance (RMM) be called upon to integrate the Peace and Understanding Commission?
-Of course they should be invited, it is the State’s responsibility to sit down and talk with all groups in the region. Without the participation of these groups, a historical solution that will be permanent over time cannot be expected. This has been done by many countries that we see as examples to solve this problem. I think we are at a turning point where we cannot exclude some groups because they think differently. Any solution should be as comprehensive and legitimate as possible.

-Who should be the other guests in this case?
-This is something that the Government has to determine and it is the responsibility of the President. I hope that there will be a commission as broad and knowledgeable as possible, with the participation of all actors and leaders of the region. I believe that each community should define its own representatives autonomously.

-What do you think about the President’s visit to the region and his statements?
-At the moment, only announcements will hopefully turn into concrete measures that we can evaluate after a while. Many incumbent governments have announced more resources, but these are simply reallocations from other budget items. Poverty and suffering still exist in the region.

– When the president says there are “organizations using the Mapuche case to conceal their illegal operations”, do you think that is a good diagnosis for part of the conflict in La Araucanía? Referring to criminal groups involved in wood theft and drug trafficking…
-That’s it. Unfortunately, there are criminal organizations that use the legitimate Mapuche case to cover up their unlawful actions. In addition to harming the society with their actions, these groups also pollute the historical demands and claims of a people who have always stood out with their parliamentary seats.

-You mentioned last week that this government “made many mistakes” in the first eight months, what do you think are the main mistakes?
– The hasty and unplanned visit of the former Minister of Internal Affairs (Izkia Siches) to the commune of Ercilla was, in my opinion, a bad way to start. As well as bad consultants and work teams willing to work in the area. Usually people from Santiago who have never been to the area and don’t know the dynamics and issues in the areas are hired.

– Do you think that the Segpres Minister Ana Lya Uriarte (PS) and the presidential commissioner of La Araucanía Víctor Ramos (CS) would be considered valid interlocutors for the representatives of the Mapuche people?
-I don’t know Víctor Ramos, so I can’t comment on him. I know Minister Uriarte and have the best view of him. As we have had a long list of representatives who have been appointed to deal with this issue in recent years, with no tangible results, we hope that these are actors with the political ground to act. However, today I believe that the dialogue is not through the people, it is a political decision of the will to progress on behalf of the State, which we hope will be reflected in concrete measures.

-What do you think the government’s tone-change, if any, was reacting to when the President said there were “terrorist acts” in La Araucanía?
I imagine you are responding to a government strategy. But we hope that the change of style or expression will go hand in hand with concrete measures to solve the problems of security and poverty in this area.

You assured me that although you do not represent the majority of Mapuche, you would be willing to mediate between the Government and groups such as CAM. What do you think will be your next role between the Mapuche people and the Boric government?
All of us who exercise the role of authority in the region have an obligation to be always ready to seek agreements and promote dialogue. This is our duty, especially in the context in which we find ourselves today. For my part, I have always tried to cooperate with all incumbent governments to build bridges of dialogue between actors in the region.