Mapuche Williche communities file complaint against Statkraft in Norway

Mapuche Williche communities from southern Chile have filed a formal complaint in Norway against Statkraft AS, Europe’s largest renewable energy generator. The complaint, submitted by the Aylla Rewe del Ngen Mapu Kintuantü, invokes the Norwegian Transparency Act to challenge the company’s operations in Indigenous territories.

The legal action requests that the Norwegian Consumer Authority investigate whether Statkraft fulfilled its human rights due diligence obligations regarding the Rucatayo plant and the Los Lagos hydropower project. The communities expressed concerns over the lack of free, prior, and informed consent, as well as potential threats to cultural and spiritual rights. They also highlighted risks to the safety of human rights defenders and the potential for irreversible damage caused by the flooding of culturally significant lands in the Pilmaiquén River basin.

Because Statkraft is wholly owned by the Norwegian state, the case serves as a test of Norway’s human rights obligations and how its domestic transparency laws apply to international operations.