July 06, 2020 in Temuco, Chile / Wallmapu, the Mapuche Territory.
March For the Spirituality meant to support an incarcelated Mapuche spiritual leader's hunger strike day 64. Machi Celestino Cordova’s spokeswomxn Giovanna Tabilo and Cristina Romo Peralta along with his wife led the march. The youngest and oldest sons participated as well, joining and their community called Chicahual, Mapuche elders, leaders and young Mapuche students among other indigenous peoples who arrived from different territories to stand in solidarity.
Machi Celestino Cordova's demands through the hunger Strike seek to improve the dangerous prison conditions of Mapuche Political Prisoners, many who have not even been convicted. Their lives are threatened by the pandemic and his hunger strike and the hunger strike that are carrying out many Mapuche political prisoners in Angol, a southern city, is a last resource to convince authorities to respect National and International laws and Treaties such as ILO Convention 169, articles 7, 8, 9 & 10, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Machi Celestino Cordova particularity asks to serve the rest of his sentence in his Rewe (spiritual place) along with his family, in his territory, with his community; to apply ILO Convention 169, articles 7, 8, 9 & 10; to change the sentence compliance to all Mapuche and No-Mapuche Political Prisoners so they can be placed under house arrest; to change the precautionary measures to all Mapuche Political prisoners and all imputed political prisoners of the Social Explosion.
Unfortunately little was shown on the local television and not even the local newspaper was able to make an article about this event, which could have shown their cause under a more positive light.
The lack of mainstream media coverage shows the racial discrimination and marginalization they systematically suffer due to prejudice and racism within the Chilean society.
Credits: Lidia Arriagada-Garcia