On 24 September 2026, during the 63rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, during the dialogue with the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (which presented the study on the rights of Indigenous Peoples in situations of conflict and post-conflict), a representative of the Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII (APG23) brought the situation of the Mapuche people in Chile to the attention of the assembly, drawing attention to the deep-rooted injustices that have long marked the relationship between Mapuche communities and the State.
In its statement, APG23 emphasized how the conflict is rooted in a history characterized by the expropriation of land, the denial of the right to self-determination, and forms of systematic discrimination.
This situation continues to have tangible consequences for the present and for the everyday lives of Mapuche communities.
In light of this reality, the need to adopt a new paradigm, based on equity, mutual understanding and cooperation between the Chilean State and the Mapuche people, was highlighted. To achieve this objective, the need for a cultural shift capable of overcoming discriminatory narratives rooted in historical injustices and structural violence was
also emphasized.
Such a process should contribute to creating the conditions for lasting peace, founded on justice, reparation and the effective participation of the communities concerned. From this perspective, it is essential to move from denial to recognition and from a logic of conflict to one of cooperation.
Only through inclusion, justice and the full recognition of the rights of the Mapuche people, including the right to self-determination, will it be possible to lay the foundations for lasting peace and for coexistence based on mutual respect.
OPERAZIONE COLOMBA
