Mapuche leader accused of buying heavy weapons in Cuba

The oral trial against the Chilean Mapuche leaderHector Llaitul, tried for the crimes of incitement and advocacy of violence, among others, revealed compromising conversations where a plan to acquire weapons in Cuba and have them clandestinely enter his country through Argentina is mentioned.

The prosecutor's office, which is asking for sentences totaling 25 years in prison against the highest representative of the indigenous organization Coordinadora Arauco-Malleco (CAM), presented details about several contacts for the illegal entry of heavy weapons into the country, the newspaper reported.Third.

"The accused is not only a person who receives instructions or comments from the communities, but he himself is the one who on many occasions instructs movements ofweapons and the perpetration of violent acts," with a "constant search for firearms," said the Prosecutor's Office.

He also warned about the presence of talks tothe purchase of weapons and ammunition from Cuba and Argentina, based on evidence obtained from Llaitul's phone by the Investigative Police (PDI).

"The content of the phone shows instructions for the transfer of weapons and conversations about who will participate in certain acts or attacks. However, this investigation focuses on theft, usurpation and violations of the State Security Law. Other crimes are being investigated for the relevant prosecutor's offices," declared prosecutor Héctor Leiva, of the High Complexity Prosecutor's Office.

Llaitul faces charges of incitement and advocacy of violence according to the State Security Law, in addition to accusations of usurpation, theft of wood and attack on authority.

The regional prosecutor of La Araucanía, Roberto Garrido, recalled that the Mapuche leader "has publicly assumed that political violence is the way to achieve his objectives."

He added that Llaitul not only made appeals to the communities, but was behind crucial decisions to carry out violent actions and sabotage.

The CAM leader was arrested in August 2022 by PDI officials who went to a cookery in Cañete, in the Biobío region, to arrest him.

In addition, the detectives had an arrest warrant issued by the Temuco Guarantee Court for the capture of the Mapuche community member.

That order authorized the seizure of the Redmi brand phone, model Note 10 Pro, property of Llaitul, from which more than 200,000 data were obtained that, after being processed and delivered to the Public Ministry, have become key pieces for the oral trial that began last March 12.

The Prosecutor's Office seeks to prove the intellectual participation of the Mapuche in different acts of rural violence.