Neuquén Mapuche communities face evictions amid legal disputes

In Neuquén, Argentina, tensions have escalated following the eviction of the Lof Quinquintreo Mapuche community. Governor Rolando Figueroa has characterized the situation as a “private matter between individuals,” suggesting the state should not intervene in such disputes.

Legal experts, including indigenous rights specialist Sonia Ivanoff, have criticized this stance, arguing that the state has a constitutional and international obligation to protect indigenous land rights. Ivanoff noted that state absence is not neutrality but an “abandonment of duties” that could expose the province to international legal responsibility under the Argentine Constitution and ILO Convention 169.

Concurrently, reports indicate popular mobilizations in support of Mapuche communities near Villa La Angostura. While an eviction order for the Lof Melo community was reportedly suspended, Mapuche resistance continues in other areas, including the Lof Kinxikew.