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Original article: Comunidades mapuche denuncian nueva persecución judicial contra Lonko Guillermo Ñiripil y acusan racismo institucional ante segundo juicio

Voices Raise Concerns Over Redundant Accusations, Link Prosecutor to Previous Fabrications; Call on Human Rights Organizations to Observe the Process

Voices of Lonko Ñirripil

Temuco, June 11, 2026. In a joint statement, the family of Lonko Guillermo Ñiripil and representatives from 21 Mapuche communities in the regions of Lautaro, Curacautín, Victoria, Lonquimay, and Perquenco expressed deep concern over what they describe as a «new judicial persecution» against the ancestral leader. Lonko Ñiripil is set to face a second trial on July 1, 2026, even though he is already serving a sentence with restrictions on his cultural identity.

Valeria Ñiripil Lincopi, spokesperson for the family from Los Mallines in Curacautín, questioned the legality of the new proceedings: «As a family, we are deeply troubled by this new accusation, as we do not understand why another trial is being held with the same charges as the original conviction.» She believes this action reinforces the government and the Prosecutor’s Office of La Araucanía’s stance of «keeping the traditional authority imprisoned for land recovery efforts.

In the same vein, Margarita Paine, spokesperson for the 21 communities, made a direct appeal to public authorities and human rights organizations to «pay attention and emphasize the case of Lonko Guillermo Ñiripil.» Paine asserted that there exists a systematic strategy by public and private institutions to «dismantle Mapuche leadership,» which creates conflicts that directly impact the cultural and communal development of their territories.

The communities announced their intention to mobilize in an organized manner to support Lonko during the trial. Among their main concerns is the involvement of prosecutor Enrique Vázquez Inostroza, who is linked to the Huracán case, established as a fabrication, and the Hermosilla case. They denounce that this case assumes a «political context» and takes on a «racist course,» aiming once again for an «exemplary and unjust conviction.»

According to the statement, the trial is based solely on the accounts of landowners, without considering prior agreements between forest owners and community leaders, as there are no formal contracts to back up said voluntary agreements. For the spokespersons, this constitutes a form of «intimidation against the communities and territories that are now claiming their rightful territorial rights.»

Finally, family members and supporters of Lonko have called on all individuals and organizations that defend rights to «provide strength and support during this unjust second trial, a trial with redundant accusations, to confront judicial racism.»

*Full reproduction of the statements*

_Statement by Valeria Ñiripil Lincopi, spokesperson for the family of Lonko Ñiripil:_  

«Mari Mari, good day. I am Valeria Ñiripil Lincopi, spokesperson for the family of Lonko Ñiripil, from the Los Mallines sector in Curacautín. We want to express our family’s concern regarding the new judicial persecution against Lonko Guillermo Ñiripil, who faces a new trial on July 1, 2026, reaffirming the government and the prosecutor’s stance in La Araucanía to keep the traditional authority imprisoned for land recovery efforts, already having been convicted and restricted from his cultural identity.

As a family, we have significant concerns regarding this new accusation, as we do not understand why another trial was held with the same incrimination as the first conviction.»

_Statement by Margarita Paine, spokesperson for the twenty-one communities:_  

«Mari Mari Lamien, Mari Mari kompuche. This is Margarita Paine speaking, spokesperson for the twenty-one communities in Araucanía, encompassing Lautaro, Curacautín, Victoria, Lonquimay, and Perquenco. 

We urge public authorities and human rights organizations to focus on the case of Lonko Guillermo Ñiripil, a traditional authority currently detained, as public organizations aim to dismantle Mapuche leaders and consequently create a series of conflicts affecting our communities and their cultural and communal development.

As we anticipate the new trial and persecution of our leader and traditional ancestral authority, Lonko Guillermo Ñiripil, family members, communities, and territories are organizing to support him, concerned about the distortions in the accusations from the first trial, such as discussions and agreements between forest landowners and community leaders, and notably the involvement of prosecutor Enrique Vázquez Inostroza in the Huracán case, acknowledged as a fabrication, and the Hermosilla case, giving it a political connotation, knowing these historically take on a racist course, unjustly aiming for an exemplary conviction for Lonko Ñiripil, relying solely on the landowners’ version, without any contract supporting the voluntary agreement between parties. Moreover, this constitutes intimidation against the communities and territories demanding rightful territorial claims today. Furthermore, family members and territories supporting the Lonko call upon anyone involved in territorial claims to lend strength and support in this second unjust trial, a trial with redundant accusations, to confront judicial racism.»

*We share a video to view the presentations of the spokespersons (Ancestral Minga)*

La entrada Mapuche Communities Condemn Judicial Persecution Against Lonko Guillermo Ñiripil, Accuse Institutional Racism Amid Second Trial se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.