If Latin America is not involved in a crisis, it is not Latin America: poverty, inequality,
coups d'état, revolts, populist movements that seem to crawl out from under the rocks,
dubious election counts...
The list is very long.
However, if this region seems stable, very stable, in one area, it is with everything
that concerns its territorial integrity.
But....
What if we were to tell you that there is a simmering conflict that could now literally
split the southern cone in two?
Do you want to know exactly what we are talking about?
Well...
Listen up.
OK VisualPolitik fans, as you all know, Chile and Argentina are the two southernmost countries,
that is, located to the very south of the American continent.
Both became independent from the Kingdom of Spain at the beginning of the 19th century,
so they have been on their own for more than 200 years.
Of course, that is not the whole story.
Their territories today include spaces and jurisdictions that were formerly occupied
by various indigenous communities, among them the Mapuches: an original South American people
located in central Chile and southern Argentina, in what is known today as the Chilean Araucanía
and the Argentine Patagonia.
Well, the fact is that while until now this ethnic group have lived in peace with both
Argentines and Chileans, this has now changed.
The last few years have been characterized by an escalation of violence that has even
forced the Chilean government to militarize part of the country.
Specifically, since 2009, some highly radicalized Mapuche groups have been engaged in a growing
and open struggle against the Chilean and Argentinean States for control of the territory.
C1 ("Given that there has been no sign from the government to put an end to the repressive
forces in our communities, we have taken a decision as Coordinadora Mapuche Arauco-Malleco.
We publicly manifest our renunciation of Chilean nationality, and we declare territory of the
Mapuche autonomous nation."
– Public communiqué in 2009 by the Arauco-Malleco Mapuche Coordinating Committee).
This communiqué was the spearhead of the current crisis.
But what are the Mapuche claims, what has motivated them, and to what extent is the
territorial integrity of Chile and Argentina at risk?
In this video we are going to answer all these questions, but to understand how this situation
has arrived at this point, first we have to take a look at a little bit of history!
(INGREDIENTS FOR CONFLICT)
To find out where the problem began, we have to go back to the 19th century.
At that time Mapuche society was built on a complex system of marriage alliances between
the most powerful families.
But how was the power of each group defined?
Well, fundamentally by their cattle raising capacity and, in particular, their ability
to relate to the colonial forces.
In this sense, the Mapuches were not a very centralized group in their power relations.
In fact, the very concept of a "Mapuche people" was often interpreted as basically a Western
construction.
This is because in reality this indignant community was very heterogeneous, which would
prove to be key at different stages.
But, for now, let's not get sidetracked.
With Chile and Argentina both achieving independence between 1810 and 1818, a new scenario arose
for the political relations of the Mapuche, who from that moment on had to get used to
negotiating with the new national governments.
The fundamental problem is that these governments had the objective of forging, consolidating
and uniting feelings of nationhood in the independent territories.
In other words, they faced the task of building the concept of a Chilean nation and an Argentine
nation.
In order to achieve this goal, it was essential to integrate three key concepts: society,
State and territory.
However, after ousting the Spanish crown, the governments of the new republics realized
that much of their theoretical territorial dominion was eroded by the jurisdictions under
the control of indigenous communities such as the Mapuche, communities that in fact,
as you can see, controlled most of the new free territory.
In other words, for the politicians of the time, these groups were a clear impediment
to their nation-building project.
During the middle of the 19th century, both republics had already advanced from their
capital to the south, accumulating more and more land for their respective political projects.
A process that was not regular but rather intermittent due to the constant emergence
of various internal conflicts.
In this way, during the second half of the 19th century, the Chilean State, now much
more organized, was able to publish a decree in 1866 establishing that all lands that could
not be proven to have been occupied by the Mapuche for a period of one year would be
considered wasteland and the State would proceed to auction them off.
Thus began a military crusade known as the "Occupation of Araucania".
At that time, most of the Mapuche communities moved to the Argentine side to avoid being
rounded up by Chilean troops.
But their tranquility was short-lived.
In 1878 the Argentine State set in motion a process similar to that of Chile, with the
so-called "Conquest of the Desert", a large-scale operation that had been preceded by similar
operations in the south of the Province of Buenos Aires.
After these two campaigns, the Mapuches went from occupying 10 million hectares to being
concentrated on a few more than 500,000.
In other words, they lost 95% of the land they had once controlled.
And of course they suffered many casualties along the way.
Although in this respect it must be said that the estimates of the various historians vary
greatly.
After these two political-military campaigns were carried out, both the Argentine and Chilean
States considered the territorial issue to be resolved and began to build a modern State
under the theory of "to govern is to populate".
In this way, sufficient incentives were generated to attract enormous flows of immigrants from
Europe that would completely change the local reality.
For example, it is estimated that in 1920, almost half, fifty percent of all the inhabitants
of Buenos Aires were born abroad.
(THE 20TH CENTURY UNDER THE RUG)
During the early 20th century, with the Mapuche territory decimated on the map, with a new
society of European immigrants, a prosperous economy and a world dominated by conflict,
the indigenous issue disappeared completely from the public agenda…
Although, of course, this did not mean that the Mapuche reality and their demands disappeared
completely.
Little by little, the economic and political situation became more complicated in both
countries.
From the instability of mid-century to the military coups of the 1970s, which gave way
to the military dictatorship of Jorge Rafel Videla and his successors in Argentina and
that of Augusto Pinochet in Chile.
And it was precisely the Chilean dictatorship that created the Mapuche Regional Council
in 1976 as an advisory body to promote the State's relationship with the indigenous population
of Chile's Araucanía region.
The Mapuche issue was back on the table.
And in fact, this region, the Chilean Araucanía, was one of the only two regions in all of
Chile where the referendum that displaced Pinochet from power was favorable to the dictator.
Be that as it may, what is certain is that from the mid-twentieth century onwards, protests,
protest actions and raids were once again registered, which in a way could be considered
as the germination of the current situation.
For example, between the 1950s and 1960s, there were resistance actions against the
construction of dams and agricultural exploitation programs.
This was especially true in central Chile.
However, the arrival of democracy in Chile and Argentina between the 1980s and 1990s
led to the emergence of new state institutions in an attempt to establish closer ties with
indigenous communities.
For example, the National Institute of Indigenous Affairs was created in Argentina in 1985 and
the National Corporation for Indigenous Development was founded in Santiago in 1992.
Of course, in light of all this, it does not appear that these organizations will achieve
their objectives.
Be that as it may, this is how we have reached the 21st century, a period of time in which
the Mapuche conflict has really heated up.
Listen up.
(CONFLICT BREAKS OUT)
Okay, the history of the Mapuche is much more complex, but I think that with everything
we have outlined we have more than enough to understand the origins of the problem,
at least its key points, right?
Well, now that we are situated, we are ready to travel to the year 2009, the year in which
the declaration of war takes place.
VisualPolitik fans, there are many Mapuche communities that feel neither Argentine nor
Chilean, but for them, both States mean exactly the same thing: repression against their ancestors
and in a certain way, their culture.
Of course, there are two important points to be made here:
Not all Mapuches have taken on a warlike position, nor are the situations in Chile and Argentina
fully comparable.
You see, according to the 2017 population census of Chile, approximately 1.7 million
people in this country declared themselves to belong to the Mapuche people.
This represents approximately 10% of the country's total population.
In Argentina, on the other hand, the Mapuche population is much smaller.
We are talking about approximately 205,000 people who recognize themselves as Mapuche
in the whole country, barely 0.5% of the Argentine population.
Of course, there are not almost two million people taking up arms against the Chilean
and Argentine governments, at least not today.
If there were, the story would be very different.
But do you remember that the Mapuches did not traditionally organize themselves under
a centralized leadership?
Well...
Exactly the same thing is still true today.
So, no, there is no entity that encompasses them all and persuades them to take part in
an armed resistance.
In fact, of the hundreds and hundreds of thousands, almost two million Chileans and Argentines
who identify themselves as Mapuche, only a fraction are active in violent groups.
In other words, the vast majority of people who are part of this community live peacefully
and interact with national institutions.
This is something very important that we have to take into account in order to avoid misinterpretations
or stigmatization of the Mapuche people as violent.
In fact, if historical evidence tells us anything, it is precisely that stigmatizing and labeling
an entire people is often the best way to push them to radicalism.
The fact is that over time, well-organized and armed movements have arisen that have
provoked the current spiral of violence.
This is the case, of course, of the one known as Coordinadora Mapuche Arauco-Malleco, but
it is not the only one.
In 2014 the Mapuche Ancestral Resistance also emerged, with a communiqué that set off alarm
bells in the region.
("We do not want to integrate, we want to liberate ourselves (...) Neither Argentines
nor Chileans, we are Mapuche Nation.
All the territory free and recovered for all our people" Mapuche Ancestral Resistance)
Do you remember the campaigns carried out by the Chilean and Argentine armies that considered
the Mapuches a common problem?
Well, it seems that now history is coming back like a boomerang.
In fact, on 31 May 2022, the Chilean Chamber of Deputies declared the organizations you
see on the screen as "illicit associations of a terrorist nature".
("The Chamber of Deputies declares the organizations "Coordinadora Arauco-Malleco", "Resistencia
Mapuche Malleco", "Resistencia Mapuche Lafkenche" and "Weichan Auka Mapu" as unlawful associations
of a terrorist nature, and requests H.E.
the President of the Republic to prosecute them in accordance with the provisions of
Law No. 18,314 on terrorist conduct.”
– Resolution 135 of May 31, 2022)
But...
Exactly what does Mapuche liberation consist of, what territory do they claim today, and
with what arguments do they justify armed action?
Well, what these groups seek to liberate and recover today is known as "WALLMAPU", and
includes the center of both Chile and Argentina, dividing both countries literally in half.
In fact, the Chilean capital itself would fall within this territory.
Can you imagine these two countries literally splitting in half and Chile moving its capital?
No, right?
Well...
There are those who have taken up arms to achieve this.
At the moment it is not a very high level of violence but it tends to be more or less
constant.
For example, by 2017 the situation had devolved into an unprecedented spiral of violence that
forced the governments of Mauricio Macri and Michelle Bachelet to start implementing joint
plans to combat the hotspots of violence.
Sebastían Piñera himself, winner of the elections that same year in Chile, promised
an iron fist and the application of the anti-terrorist law.
And you could say that this is how the conflict began:
N1 (31 March 2012: Micro-entrepreneurs owners of burned trucks in Araucanía: We are ruined
and terrified.
N2 (January 2013: The Mapuche conflict ignites Chile)
N3 (November 2014: Mapuche group claimed responsibility for fires in Bariloche and declared "war"
on Chile and Argentina)
It continued in this manner:
N4 (8 October 2017: Piñera claimed that the CAM is terrorist and is financed from abroad)
N5 (20 July 2018: Mauricio Macri, on the Mapuche conflict: "No one can believe they are above
the law".
N6 (25 September 2018: Chile announces plan to appease Mapuche minorities)
And these days we find ourselves here:
N7 (18 July 2022: Chile: 20 vehicles burned in new attack in Mapuche conflict.
CNN)
N8 (After new attacks by radical Mapuche groups, Chilean businessmen and legislators demand
an extension of the military deployment.
Infobae)
C4 ("Violence is likely to escalate in the Mapuche area" – Salvador Millaleo, expert
on the Mapuche conflict and former advisor to Gabriel Boric)
As if that were not enough, the Mapuche movement has been gradually acquiring a certain anti-capitalist
flavor in order to gain the support of left-wing movements in Latin America.
C5 ("Territorial Control must be understood as a process of autonomist character in relation
to the State and its institutions, and anti-capitalist".
– Communiqué of the Arauco Mapuche Coordinating Committee (January 2019)
So now the struggle to recover Mapuche territory is also a struggle against neoliberalism and
international capitalism.
[Piece of cake.
(sarcastic)]
But, not surprisingly, between 2019 and 2021.....
The governments of these two countries came to be dominated by left-wing politicians.
So the question is, what do you think they did?
Well...
Listen up.
(SURPRISE IN THE STADIUM: STRONG HAND FROM THE LEFT)
There was a time when it seemed that left-wing governments could reach a pact with Mapuche
groups.
The problem is that although these groups have shifted ideologically to the left, their
main demand continues to clash head-on with the very configuration of the State of these
countries.
You could even say, with the very existence of Chile and Argentina as we know them today.
And that, that's what explains news items like this:
N9 (16 May 2022: Gabriel Boric again militarized southern Chile in the face of increased violence)
N10 (20 May 2022: Chilean Government warned that the Armed Forces "will respond" if attacked
during the state of emergency in the south)
N11 (June 2022: State of emergency renewed for a new period in La Araucanía and the
provinces of Arauco and Biobío)
To the surprise of many, Chile's leftist president, Gabriel Boric, has decided to continue and
even push forward Sebastian Piñera's iron fist policy.
This, by the way, seems to clash with his own words of 11 March, the day he was sworn
in as president:
C6 ("What is happening in La Araucanía is a conflict between the Chilean State and a
people that has the right to exist, and the solution is not and will not be violence".
– Gabriel Boric, President of Chile)
Since then, the change could not have been more radical:
C7 ("If they want to use these demands (of indigenous peoples) to cover up or disguise
organized crime, drug trafficking or other criminal events (...) our government will
be clear, emphatic and will not rest in pursuing and finding those responsible".
– Izkia Siches, Minister of Interior of Chile)
But, okay, this is the situation in Chile, but what is happening in Argentina?
Well, let's say, that entangled in a thousand crises and with a government fragmented into
a thousand pieces, it does not seem that President Fernandez has time for this issue.
Of course, the problem in Argentina is, as we have seen, much smaller than in Chile.
It affects 20 times less the percentage of the population.
So as long as things don't get out of hand on the other side...
Well, let's just say, it seems they will be able to manage it.
Although this is no laughing matter in Santiago de Chile.
VisualPolitik fans, for many analysts, if the tables are not turned, the current situation
surrounding the Mapuche conflict could be the precursor to a much greater spiral of
violence that could provoke a clash unprecedented in the history of South America.
But having reached this point, it's your turn:
Did you know that Argentina and especially Chile were facing such a territorial problem?
How do you think this situation could be resolved?
Do you think the day will come when both countries will lose control over this part of their
territory?
What is your opinion about this conflict?
Leave us your comments below and let's open a debate.
Of course, if you found this video interesting, don't forget to like and subscribe to VisualPolitik.
Thank you very much once again for being there.
All the best and see you next time.