Indigenous communities in Chile and Guatemala pursue cultural and legal protections

In Chile, the National Corporation for Indigenous Development (CONADI) has funded five projects to preserve Mapuche cultural heritage in Villarrica. These initiatives, organized through the ‘Instancias de Fortalecimiento del Patrimonio Regional Mapuche’ contest, aim to protect sites of spiritual, ceremonial, historical, and environmental significance. The projects involve collaborative work between CONADI, the Municipality of Villarrica, and several indigenous communities, including Juan Cayulef, Afunalhue, Hilario Manquepan, Ambrosio Punolef, and Francisco Quileniñan.

In Guatemala, indigenous and ancestral authorities have filed an injunction with the Constitutional Court to halt the progress of legislative initiative 6665, known as the ‘TRECSA Law’ (Urgent Infrastructure Law for Electrical Energy Transport). The authorities argue the law could violate collective rights, territorial integrity, and the right to prior consultation. They claim the initiative may negatively impact communal property, water, health, and sacred sites, potentially favoring national and foreign economic sectors over indigenous interests.