Mapuche communities protest landfill on ancestral territory in Chile

Mapuche communities in the Bajo Malleco area, near Collipulli in Chile's La Araucanía Region, are protesting the presence of a large-scale sanitary landfill on their ancestral territory. The facility, which has been operational for six years, was established on land purchased from Forestal Mininco (Matte Group) by a municipal association to process waste from Collipulli, Ercilla, Angol, and Renaico.

Spokesperson Rodrigo Curipán states that the landfill, managed by private companies Cosemar and William Ives S.A., was installed without the consent of the indigenous population. The communities claim the project has caused irreversible environmental, cultural, medicinal, and spiritual damage by restricting access to sacred lands.

Local leaders allege that the consortium bypassed Chilean legislation and that the environmental impact study contained irregularities, specifically regarding prohibitions on projects that affect wetlands and water sources intended for human consumption. The communities maintain they were never consulted during the establishment of the 14 to 15-hectare site.