On February 8, three months into the impunity regarding the forced disappearance of the Mapuche leader Julia Chuñil, a manifestation will take place at 11 o'clock in Paseo Bulnes, Santiago. Julia Chuñil, defender of her ancestral territory, the Putraguel community in Máfil, Rivers Region, Wallmapu, has not been found, and the Ministry of Security has not provided relevant information. Additionally, the main suspect, the forestry businessman Juan Carlos Morstadt Andwanter, has not issued any statement regarding the matter.
The Máfil communities have mobilized in solidarity with Julia Chuñil's family, denouncing the abandonment by local and regional authorities in the search for the disappeared leader. The case has been kept secret for 40 days by the Environmental Crimes Prosecutor of the Rivers, Carlos Bahamondes, causing distress among Julia Chuñil's relatives.
There are still no indictments or trial in the case, and the lines of investigation followed by Prosecutor Bahamondes are unknown. Urgent actions from national authorities, such as the National Prosecutor, the President, or the Minister of Women, have not materialized, leading to growing concern over the lack of progress in the search for Julia Chuñil.
Human rights organizations have submitted urgent action requests to the United Nations and the IACHR, asking for protective precautionary measures. Amid uncertainty, civil society has united to demand answers and justice in Julia Chuñil's case, whose whereabouts remain unknown.
On February 8, during the manifestation at Paseo Bulnes, there will be an art exhibition in support of Julia Chuñil, featuring the participation of artists and people sensitive to the cause. Meanwhile, the family and local community keep asking: Where is Julia Chuñil? The hope of finding her alive remains, despite the search being hindered by a lack of cooperation and transparency in the case.
