The Elugun

"When the Chilean police assassinated Camilo Catrillanca, a Mapuche youth who lived in the region of Araucanía, I decided to travel there the following day. The trip from Buenos Aires took close to 24 hours by car without stopping – covering around 1600 kilometres and crossing the border in the Andes Mountains. The elugun (Mapuche for ‘funeral wake’) lasted three days. It was a historic and unforgettable ceremony, attended by nearly 5000 people, bringing together all the political and spiritual authorities of the Mapuche. Somehow, the abrupt changed of scenery and situation made it feel as though I had travelled back various centuries in time. Everything I saw contained something ancient. The event was all about saying farewell to a waichafe (warrior), with all honours and the strength of his memory.

It was a historic occurrence that rocked the pinnacle of Chilean politics. Primarily because of the injustice of the death itself, but also because of the efforts made to disguise the facts, where the actions of the police, as well as the complicity of the media and of the justice system, were uncovered. There were various aspects that the murder of Camilo Catrillanca in Araucania (Chile) and the death of Santiago Maldonado (Argentina) had in common. I also believe that it proved to be a pivotal incident, giving rise to a great outcry within society, that reached as far as the streets of the Chilean capital one year later."

Read the full story in LFI 01.2021.