Fervently opposes the displacement of Lof Pailako community in Argentina, as per statement by Cultural Survival.
Title: Stand With Lof Pailako: Indigenous Community Faces Forced Eviction in Argentina
The Heart-Wrenching Ongoing Saga of Lof Pailako
In the heart of Patagonia, Argentina, the Mapuche-Tehuelche community of Lof Pailako finds itself embroiled in a bitter battle to preserve their ancestral connection to the land they've called home for generations. As of January 9, 2025, federal police, alongside personnel from Los Alerces National Park, are carrying out an eviction of the community from their ancestral lands. This unwelcome intrusion signifies a grim climax in a long-standing conflict that has been riddled with racism, institutional violence, and political maneuvering.
The legal battle for Lof Pailako reached a critical juncture on December 27, 2024, when Judge Otranto granted Parques Nacionales the authority to proceed with the eviction. Devoid of the option to file an extraordinary appeal, the community was denied the chance to defend itself and present evidence of their traditional and ancestral ties to the land. Instead, the courts relied solely on the Administration of National Parks' assertions. This disheartening state of affairs sheds light on the bias and collusion within the Argentine judicial system when it comes to supporting governments intent on displacing Indigenous communities from their ancestral territories.
A Tangle of Injustice and Cultural Extinction
The prospect of losing their land threatens not only the physical wellbeing of the Lof Pailako community but also their cultural survival. This brutal eviction serves as the final act in a series of harassments, criminalizations, and violent threats that have long plagued Lof Pailako, much like other Indigenous communities in Argentina. The intensity of these injustices has escalated since the announcement in December 2024, when the executive decided to revoke Law 26160, a temporary measure that had suspended evictions and ordered the mapping of Indigenous communities.
Join the Movement: NoToLofPailakoEviction
In the face of these overwhelming odds, Cultural Survival stands with the Lof Pailako community and calls for an immediate halt to the ongoing eviction. We implore Argentine authorities to cease the criminalization and persecution of the Mapuche people and uphold their responsibility to respect Indigenous rights as mandated by international law. It is paramount that these rights be upheld beyond the whims of political interests.
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Stay connected with the Lof Pailako community:
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lof.pailako
Background- In 2020, the Lof Pailako community reclaimed land within what is now Los Alerces National Park, a territory that had been inhabited by Indigenous peoples, including the Mapuche and Tehuelche, long before the establishment of national parks.- Until late 2024, Argentina had applied the Territorial Emergency Law 26.160, which imposed a moratorium on evictions of Indigenous communities from their ancestral lands until the completion of a land survey to recognize Indigenous territories.- In December 2024, Argentina under President Milei ceased the application of Law 26.160, thereby rescinding the moratorium on evictions.
Current Scenario- Following the withdrawal of Law 26.160's protection, the Lof Pailako community was evicted from the land they had reclaimed within Los Alerces National Park.- The uprooting of the community has caused immense distress, particularly among the children who struggle to comprehend why they are barred from returning to their birthplace.- The eviction serves as a reflection of the broader government stance, as evidenced by Argentina's vote against a United Nations resolution on Indigenous peoples’ rights in November 2024. The resolution emphasized the principle of free, prior, and informed consent for Indigenous peoples in decisions affecting their lands and resources, but Argentina was the sole country to vote against it.
International Law Implications- The UN resolution reaffirmed the right of Indigenous peoples to free, prior, and informed consent in decisions affecting their territories.- Argentina’s eviction of the Lof Pailako community and its vote against the UN resolution indicate a rejection of internationally recognized Indigenous rights frameworks.- The evictions potentially violate principles under international human rights law concerning Indigenous peoples, including the protection of ancestral lands and the right to participate in decisions impacting their communities.- This situation reveals the tension between national policies that prioritize state or commercial interests over Indigenous land rights and international obligations to safeguard Indigenous peoples’ cultural and territorial integrity.
- The ongoing eviction of the Lof Pailako community from their ancestral lands in Argentina is not just a local general-news issue but also a political one, as it raises concerns about the violation of Indigenous rights and the bias in the Argentine judicial system.
- The Lof Pailako community's fight to preserve their ancestral connection to the land they've called home has been entangled in institutional violence, racial bias, and political maneuvering, highlighting a pressing need for international intervention and adherence to internationally recognized Indigenous rights frameworks.
