Urgent Alert: Rising Violence Against Environmental Defenders in Aysén Sparks Legal Action Over Defamation and Harassment

Original article: Alerta por escalada de violencia contra defensores ambientales de Aysén: interponen recurso de protección por hostigamientos y difamaciones

Coyhaique Court Receives Legal Complaint from Environmental Defenders Amid Rising Harassment and Defamation

This judicial action seeks to protect the honor of community leaders following videos circulated by former Senate candidate Manuel Anabalón Jeldres, which falsely accuse them of profiting to «sabotage» the local economy. Following these accusations, two leaders reported illegal break-ins at their homes.

Four prominent social leaders and environmental defenders from the Aysén region have filed a legal complaint with the Coyhaique Court of Appeals, as announced in a statement from the organization «Aysén Reserva de Vida».

This measure denounces the widespread dissemination of false content by former Senate candidate Manuel Anabalón Jeldres, which they claim violates their constitutional right to honor and puts their physical safety at risk.

The conflict escalated after videos circulated on TikTok and Facebook that garnered 60,000 views. In these clips, Anabalón accuses Daniel Caniullán, Nelson Millatureo, Paolo Matissine, and Peter Hartmann of receiving 500 million pesos from a Norwegian organization to «sabotage» the local economy.

The affected individuals assert that these claims are unfounded and were maliciously crafted based on a TVN report aired on March 22.

The serious nature of this media exposure led to immediate consequences: following the viral spread of the videos and the filing of the protective measure, an illegal break-in was reported at Peter Hartmann’s home, and another unlawful entry occurred recently at Paolo Maticini’s residence, causing damage and theft of belongings.

The complainants—artisanal fishermen, communicators, and an architect with decades of experience in protecting the environment and indigenous cultures of Patagonia—assert they have never received funds as alleged, neither in amount nor for any supposed purpose of «sabotage».

The defense for the leaders emphasizes that such biased narratives in mainstream media and social networks act as a catalyst for violence, exposing them to being labeled as «traitors» and jeopardizing their safety in their own territories.

The complaint requests the removal of defamatory content, a ban on similar future publications, and a temporary order to protect the lives and honor of the leaders while the case is resolved.

Context: Territorial Conflict and Lafkenche Law

This harassment scenario is set against the backdrop of high tensions between the salmon farming industry and local communities over coastal control. At the heart of the dispute is Law 20.249 (Lafkenche Law), which allows the establishment of Marine Coastal Spaces for Indigenous Peoples (ECMPO).

While indigenous communities seek to protect their traditional uses along the coastline, sectors linked to the industry have pushed campaigns to limit these marine management figures. According to the complainants, the accusations of «foreign funding» are a strategy to ethically delegitimize the efforts of those defending marine ecosystems against the expansion of salmon farming in the region.