Chile sentences 18 Mapuche radical group members to over 1,000 years in prison

A Chilean court has sentenced 18 members of the radical group Resistencia Mapuche Lafkenche (RML) to a combined total of more than 1,000 years in prison. The sentences stem from a 2022 armed attack on the Molino Grollmus, a century-old industrial complex located in the Contulmo commune of the BíoBío region.

The Cañete Oral Criminal Court found the defendants guilty of arson, robbery with violence, attempted qualified homicide, and illegal possession of ammunition. The group of convicted individuals includes 15 adults and three adolescents. Five of the primary leaders received the heaviest sentences, each exceeding 80 years in prison.

Chilean Security Minister Martín Arrau stated that the attack was intended to “sow terror” and characterized the incident as an assault against a family and the community rather than a private conflict.