Original article: Familia de Julia Chuñil afirma que, a más de un mes de allanamientos, no hay pistas ni pruebas biológicas que vinculen a sus hijos
The family of environmental and territorial defender Julia Chuñil reported that search efforts are being conducted on the land being reclaimed by Julia Chuñil, where she was last seen before her disappearance in November 2024. The current owner of the property is businessman Juan Carlos Morstadt.
Over a month since the violent raids and the detention of four family members, the family of Julia Chuñil Catricura, a Mapuche environmental and territorial defender who went missing in November 2024 in the commune of Máfil, Los Ríos Region, delivered a powerful assessment of the fiscal investigation, asserting that as of now, there is no biological evidence or concrete proof linking her children to the alleged homicide of their mother.
«More than a month after the violent raids and the detention of Julia Chuñil’s children, to this day, there are no clues about Julia Chuñil, nor biological or concrete evidence to implicate her children,» the statement read.
It is noteworthy that the prosecution views her son, Javier Troncoso Chuñil, as the primary suspect in the death and disappearance of the Mapuche activist. He is currently in pretrial detention, accused of being the material author of the alleged parricide.
Meanwhile, her other two children, Pablo San Martín and Jannett Troncoso, are listed as accomplices and are under house arrest, while the former son-in-law has nighttime house arrest after being charged with qualified homicide as an accomplice and attempted robbery with violence.
Failure of the Raids
According to the family’s statement, the operation led by the regional prosecutor of Los Ríos, Tatiana Esquivel, ended unsuccessfully at Jannett Troncoso’s home. Instead of finding incriminating evidence, the procedure reportedly only resulted in material destruction of the property, with no clarity on who will be held accountable for those damages.
«Today, prosecutor Tatiana Esquivel, along with Carabineros, abandoned the search at Jannett Troncoso’s home, as they found absolutely nothing, destroying everything in their path, and we don’t know who will pay for that material damage caused,» they accused.
The statement emphasizes a fact that has been overlooked by major media outlets: the relocation of the search to the land being reclaimed, a site that Julia Chuñil had a long-standing territorial conflict over with businessman Juan Carlos Morstadt.
«Now the search is being conducted in the reclamation area of Julia Chuñil, where today the current owner is the businessman, but they won’t mention that on national channels,» they stated.
It’s important to remember that the Regional Prosecutor’s Office of Los Ríos has identified Morstadt as a “primary person of interest” in this investigation, allowing intrusive measures such as phone interceptions.
In fact, Chuñil disappeared after reporting repeated threats from Morstadt amid the land conflict. The Mapuche leader and her community had reclaimed 900 hectares of ancestral territory that CONADI ended up granting to the businessman, who is described in the region as a person with political and financial power.
According to the Public Ministry’s investigation, the elderly woman was last seen on the property «La Fritz,» owned by Morstadt, “who maintained a previously ongoing conflict with the victim.”
Three weeks have passed since the announcement of the demolition and storage building of Julia Chuñil, and months since the large-scale operation involving violent raids and detentions against the children of the Mapuche environmental and territorial defender, marking fifteen months since her disappearance.
The family stated that over two months, more than 150 people per day —including neighbors, firefighters, and police— meticulously searched both that property and Jannett Troncoso’s house, confirming that the elderly woman was not in either of the two locations.
«We have evidence that an intense search was carried out for 2 months on the reclamation site and at Jannett Troncoso’s house. More than 150 people per day participated in the search, along with neighbors, firefighters, search groups, and police, establishing that Julia was not in either of the two properties,» they noted in the statement.
Amid this operation, the family reported a new change in the leadership of the proceedings in the case, regarding the involvement of the prosecutor from the Gender Unit of the Regional Prosecutor’s Office of Los Ríos, Claudia Baeza.
«Currently and in recent days on the ground, prosecutor Claudia Baeza, one of the first prosecutors assigned, is present,» they indicated, questioning the lack of continuity in the process.
«We don’t understand why the prosecutors have varied so much in our mother’s case. They all use the same procedure,» the family stated, indicating the disorganization they perceive in the prosecutorial actions.
Concerns Regarding Protected Witnesses and Drone Harassment
One of the most contentious points of the accusation centers on the role of protected witnesses, who are key players in the prosecutor’s charges.
According to the Public Ministry’s version, eyewitness testimonies and evidence such as phone taps point to a family dispute that resulted in Julia’s death at the hands of her son, Javier Troncoso Chuñil.
However, the family of the Mapuche activist completely dismisses these testimonies.
«We demand the lifting of protected witnesses. Most of them cannot read or write and contradict themselves in their testimonies. They have more than three different statements,» they affirmed in the statement, casting doubt on the credibility and consistency of the prosecutor’s evidence.
But the pressure is not only coming from the judicial sphere. The statement reveals a constant harassment situation that the family members of Julia Chuñil are reportedly enduring, especially the most vulnerable individuals.
Specifically, they denounced «the harassment from drones at night in the home where the minor children of Jannett Troncoso currently reside.»
«Every other night we find drones spying on us through the windows,» they reported.
In light of this situation, they claim to have turned to Carabineros, whose response has allegedly been evasive: «We inquired with Carabineros and they say it’s not them; it could be the press.»
In this context, the family launched a direct criticism at the media: «How does the national press not respect the children and other family members? They made news nationwide trying to portray Julia’s children as the murderers of their own mother!».
Demands for Investigation of Agroforestry Businessman in Julia Chuñil’s Disappearance
While the prosecution seeks to solidify its theory against the children of the environmental defender, the Chuñil family continues to focus on the territorial conflict.
In their statement, they demand that «the businessman who threatened and harassed Julia Chuñil be investigated,» directly referring to Juan Carlos Morstadt, the owner of the disputed land.
«The family will remain united and will do everything possible to demonstrate their innocence,» they concluded.
