AMERICA/CHILE - The "constitutional recognition of the Mapuche people," asked by the Bishop of Temuco to stop violence

Temuco (Agenzia Fides) - " What is happening in La Araucania is very serious," the central southern area of Chile, where the percentage of the Mapuche population is very high: the complaint comes from the Bishop of Temuco, His Exc. Mgr. Manuel Camilo Vial Risopatrón, who has asked the government the constitutional recognition of indigenous Mapuche people, and society to take on multiculturalism. Mgr. Vial Risopatrón spoke on radio Biobío in Chile, where he emphasized the duty to recognize the Mapuche as people with equal rights, as a group with the same rights and duties, which coexists with all Chileans, in the same society.
The Bishop of Temuco is responsible of the Mapuche Pastoral and expressed his indignation in the face of several incidents that have seen the Police attack a group of Mapuche during a control action in the area. The Mapuche have also filed lawsuits and complaints to the courts of justice. The local press, according to information collected by Fides, published the news about various abuses on behalf of the Special Armed Forces in the town of Ercilla, specifically against the Mapuche community of Temucuicui, where even authorities of the Mapuche community were beaten and assaulted, because part of the indigenous population. "The existing violence in the conflict between communities and the Chilean State is a bad sign of our society," the Bishop said, noting that the Mapuche question must be addressed urgently and decisively. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 02/05/2012)