Villa La Angostura court suspends Mapuche community evictions

A court has suspended the scheduled eviction of the Kinxikew and Melo Mapuche communities in Villa La Angostura, Argentina. The judicial measure was halted after the proceedings could not be completed according to the required legal terms.

Defense attorney Virgilio Sánchez stated that because the eviction could not be carried out in its entirety, the procedure was considered frustrated. Under established protocols, this requires the withdrawal of all participating actors, including police forces and the legal representatives of the Broers family, who are the plaintiffs in the land dispute.

The judge rejected a clarification request from the plaintiffs, noting that any future attempt to proceed with an eviction would require a new judicial order. In response to the legal deadlock, the defense has proposed entering arbitration under the new Neuquén Procedural Code to seek a mediated solution to the long-standing territorial conflict.