Mapuche-Williche Communities Report Violent Police Raid Amid Territorial Conflict with Arauco Forestal of Angelini Group

Original article: Comunidades mapuche-williche denuncian violento allanamiento y detención en medio de conflicto territorial con Arauco, forestal del grupo Angelini

Members of the Cacique Sebastián Loncochino Community, located in the Mapuche-Williche territory of Pilpilcahuín, in the municipality of La Unión, Los Ríos Region, reported being victims of a violent police operation executed early Monday morning, which involved raids and arrests amid an ongoing territorial conflict with Arauco Forestal S.A., part of the Angelini Group.

According to testimonies collected on site, around 6:00 AM, a contingent of approximately 10 vehicles from the Investigative Police (PDI) and forensic inspectors violently stormed the area, busting down the doors of homes, detaining residents, and immediately seizing their mobile phones to prevent the recording of evidence.

As part of this operation, one community member named Carlos Carrasco was arrested without the police providing a judicial order, documentation, or any explanations regarding the reasons for this action.

“They arrived violently, broke down the door of the cabin and immediately seized our phones, not allowing us to leave the house; they kept us there, took our phones where I couldn’t collect any evidence, but there were like 10 police vehicles,” recounted a member of the Mapuche-Williche community.

“They came with 10 vehicles. They didn’t provide any information, didn’t give me anything; they just arrived, detained Carlos, searched a bit, and told me there were experts observing all around, and then they took him. They didn’t even hand me a document, nothing,” he added in a press release.

After the operation, Carrasco was taken to the Guarantee Court of La Unión, where his detention hearing was set for noon. In response to these events, the Mapuche-Williche communities issued a call to citizens, social organizations, and support networks to show solidarity outside this judicial facility and remain alert to developments in the situation.

Territorial Conflict with Arauco Forestal and Eviction Request

This incident is part of a broader territorial conflict, as the Cacique Sebastián Loncochino Community faces an eviction request initiated by Arauco Forestal.

The origins of this dispute trace back to a lawsuit filed by the company which is part of the Angelini Group at the end of 2025 against those deemed responsible for alleged non-violent occupation and theft of wood. In this context, the company invoked Article 57 of the Criminal Procedure Code, a new legal tool that allows for the eviction of presumed occupants from properties claimed by forestry companies, even before formal charges have been made.

According to the defense, there are historical and community records indicating a prolonged presence of Mapuche families in the area.

For the community, the conflict transcends legal matters and relates to their ancestral traditions and spaces that cultivate the Mapuche Williche spiritual, ceremonial, and communal life.

As stated by Radio Mulutu, within the lelfun of pu lamuen, the nguillatuwe exists, a «ceremonial space where the community has held nguillatún as a living expression of their spiritual and territorial connection«.

There also remain their aliwen, «spaces of profound value for the heads of this family, both for the rest they safeguard and for the newen spiritual energy they represent for those who inhabit and sustain the territory«.

As reported by the aforementioned media, in the müchulla, essential roles for Mapuche spirituality and social fabric have been erected and strengthened, «such as sungunmachife and tayültufe, responsibilities undertaken by members of the community itself».

The use of Article 57 of the Criminal Procedure Code has driven questions about judicial mechanisms that facilitate evictions in territories historically claimed by Mapuche communities, which, due to their cultural significance, are considered an essential part of the memory and continuity of the lof.

The Mapuche-Williche communities indicated that on July 27, 2026, a hearing was held against them by Arauco Forestal S.A., during which the company requested the eviction of the Pilpilcahuin 2 property, an ancestral area that has been under recovery since 2020.

This request was rejected by the judge of the Guarantee Court in La Unión, and the Angelini Group company filed an appeal before the Valdivia Court, so that «the threat of eviction remains lingering and we are awaiting the scheduling of a new hearing,» which is expected to take place in the city of Valdivia.

Developing News…

*Featured Image: Members of the Cacique Sebastián Loncochino lof during a ceremony amid forest plantations in the disputed territory.