Today marks nine years since the forced disappearance of Santiago Maldonado, a 28-old artisan, which occurred on August 1, 2017, in the province of Chubut, Argentina. The event took place during an operation by the “National Gendarmerie” to clear the Mapuche community “Pu Lof en Resistencia” in Cushamen a symbol of forced disappearances in the present day and of state violence against Mapuche territorial claims.

That day, Maldonado disappeared after clashes between the gendarmes and members of the community. His absence was quickly reported by human rights organizations, which demanded an independent investigation. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issued precautionary measures, and the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Executions, Agnes Callamard, made a visit to the country to verify the facts.

Santiago Maldonado’s body was found 78 days later, on October 17, in a nearby river. The official autopsy concluded hypothermia with no third-party intervention, but the evidence was questioned by the family and the Center for Legal and Social Studies (CELS). The Argentine justice system closed the case in 2019 for lack of evidence of a crime, although the state acknowledged responsibility for the forced disappearance (Law 24.411).

The Mapuche conflict is set within the context of the historical struggle for territory and autonomy of the Mapuche people, both in Chile and Argentina. After centuries of resistance to Spanish colonization and, later, to the republican states, Mapuche communities face the loss of their ancestral lands due to policies of dispossession, the expansion of the forestry industry, and the exploitation of natural resources.

The case left a deep mark on the debate about the criminalization of social protest and the use of force by the state. The Mapuche community continues to demand truth and justice, while international organizations maintain vigilance over procedural guarantees in the Argentine state.

Sources:

• Amnesty International (2018). Argentina: the Maldonado case and violence against Mapuche communities. https://www.amnesty.org/es/latest/news/2018/03/argentina-maldonado-case-mapuche-violence/

• Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (2017). Precautionary measures regarding Santiago Maldonado. https://www.oas.org/es/cidh/decisiones/cautelares.asp

• Center for Legal and Social Studies (CELS) (2019). Maldonado case: chronology and analysis. https://www.cels.org.ar/web/2019/03/caso-santiago-maldonado/

• Judicial Branch of the Argentine Nation (2019). Closing order in the case “Maldonado, Santiago”. https://www.cij.gov.ar/