Indigenous protest in Santiago, Chile

A large Mapuche and Pehuenche march took place in Santiago on May 14th against the actions of the Chilean government in order to deny indigenous rights guaranteed by the Chilean law. The present protest was preceeded by the occupation of the headquaters of CONADI (Commission of Indigenous Development) last April and the cancellation by President Frei of the II Conference of the Indigenous Peoples Fund to be held in Santiago on May 14-15th. Indigenous from Chile are critical regarding the "development" projects of the government that, being supported and financed by the Inter-American Development Bank and other funding agencies, menace their territories. To express your solidarity to the indigenous peoples from Chile you are invited to send messages to:

Mr. President of Chile
Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle
Palacio de la Moneda,
Santiago
CHILE
fax: (56 2)690 40 00 699 16 57 and

Mr. President of the Interamerican Development Bank
Enrique Iglesias
New York
USA
fax: (1)202 623 36 14

Source: WRM's bulletin Nº 1, May 1997

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