Mapuche Political Prisoners of Lebu and Concepción Begin Indefinite Hunger Strike

This morning the Mapuche political prisoners held in the Lebu and CCP Bío Bío prison: Cesar Millanao Millanao, Orlando Sáez Ancalao, Óscar Pilquiman Pilquiman and Emilio Berkhoff, reported by a public statement the beginning of an indefinite hunger strike, with the object to demand the transfer of César Millanao, Orlando Saez and Oscar Pilquiman to the Center of Study and Work CET of Cañete (who meet all the requirements) and the transfer to the Lebu prison of Emilio Berkhof, whom they keep away from their family, as a form of intimidation.

Public Statement of Initiation of Hunger Strike

From the political prison in Wallmapu we greet our Mapuche nation people, our traditional authorities, Pu Peñi, Pu Lamien, the Chilean people and the different peoples in the fight against capital and the destruction of the environment.

Mapuche political prisoners held in the Lebu prison, Cesar Millanao Millanao, Orlando Saez Ancalao, Óscar Pilquiman Pilquiman and the Mapuche political prisoner held in the prison-company CCP Biobio de Concepción, Emilio Berkhoff Jerez, we come to communicate the following:

From today Tuesday, June 28 of this year, we begin an indefinite liquid hunger strike, whose objectives are:

The immediate transfer to the Center of Study and Work CET of Cañete, of the Peñi César Millanao, Orlando Saez and Oscar Pilquiman. While the three Peñi have the time and requirements required for this transfer, the constant refusal of Gendarmerie obeys exclusively a racist and counterinsurgent policy by the State of Chile, which seeks to punish the Weichave Mapuche doubly in prison, with the impossibility of advancing in reintegration and return to our Lov. We also denounce the servile attitude to this policy of the psychologist of the Lebu prison, Roxana Jara, who with her malicious reports has been the excuse to stop the transfer of the Peñi held in Lebu.

We also demand the immediate transfer of the Mapuche political prisoner Emilio Berkhoff, from the prison-company CCP Biobio de Concepción to the Lebu prison, as it is our right to be closer to our families while fulfilling the sentences imposed by the courts at the service of forest companies. However, Gendarmerie shielded in their intelligence reports to deny this right to Peñi, thus beginning a policy of dispersion of the PPM, to punish them, by removing them even more from their family and Lov.

Having exhausted all legal instances and in the face of the constant refusal of Gendarmerie, its regional direction in charge of Colonel Pedro Ferrada, we have decided to mobilize, to ensure our consecrated rights are respected even in their own Chilean legislation, and so that as Peñi we can approach our Lov and families.

We call on our people, the Lov in resistance, to the Peñi and conscious Lamien, to the subversive and conscious Chilean people to support us with all the forms of struggle and protest, in our mobilization and thus stop the repression policy that is lived today in Chilean prisons against the Weichave.

A fraternal greeting to the Mapuche political prisoners held in the different prisons of the Wallmapu, we also greet the Wechun community that has initiated the definitive recovery of plot 13 of the former Cora Lleu-Lleu settlement.

Neither innocent, nor guilty, less repentant on the road of Weichan!!

Down with the forestry industry and every capitalist incursion of the Wallmapu, which destroy our Ñuke Mapu!!

Freedom to all Mapuche political prisoners!! Freedom to subversive, anarchist and prisoners of the revolt!!

-Cesar Millanao, Lebu prison.

-Orlando Saez, Lebu prison.

-Oscar Piquiman, Lebu prison.

-Emilio Berkhoff, Prison-Empresa CCP Biobio, Concepción.

Amulepe taiñ Weichan!!

Tuesday, June 28, 2022.

From: LA ZARZAMORA