Mapuche community resists eviction in Patagonia

Lucas Melo, the lonko of the Mapuche Melo community, is leading a resistance against eviction attempts in Villa La Angostura, Patagonia. The conflict involves more than 600 hectares of land in a highly valued region.

Recently, the community resisted an eviction attempt involving the Neuquén Police and the Gendarmería Nacional. Melo describes the situation not as a simple eviction, but as a continuation of the historical 'Conquest of the Desert.' The dispute pits the Mapuche community, which claims rights based on constitutional recognition of pre-existence, against business, political, and judicial interests, including a family of Belgian origin claiming ownership of the land.

Melo highlights a long history of struggle, noting that his grandfather was killed during the dictatorship of Juan Carlos Onganía. He asserts that the country owes a debt to indigenous peoples and emphasizes the need for the government to address these historical land dispossession issues.