AMERICA/CHILE - Bishop of Villarrica demands immediate and definitive end to La Araucania violence

Friday, 18 August 2017 indigenous   violence   human rights  

http://radio.uchile.cl

Temuco (Agenzia Fides) – As every year on 15 August, thousands gathered all over the country to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption, a much loved feast-day for Chilean Catholics.
In La Araucanía Catholics working in the fields, mainly young people, representing the Mapuche communities, made the 10 km march from Temuco to reach the Marian Shrine of Metrenco. There they were welcomed by Bishop Francisco Javier Stegmeier Schmidlin of the diocese of Villarrica (Chile). In his address the Bishop did not fail to mention the violence in the area: "It is necessary to talk with the minority groups, the few still in search of violence, to convince them to stop using those means and work instead to build healthy collaboration and dialogue with the authorities because it is time to restore to life its proper value ".
In Chile although the so-called Araucania Plan continues " (see Fides 26/06/2017), small groups unfortunately some continue to use violence to make their voices heard, as Fides said last month when we reported a church-burning attack at the end of July. (see Fides 27/07/2017).
(CE) (Agenzia Fides, 18/08/2017)


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