© Chuñil Family
The Escazú Ahora Chile Foundation, the Protege los Molles Foundation and ISHR demand that the investigation, arrest and legal proceedings involving Julia Chuñil's relatives be conducted in accordance with international standards of due process.
The undersigned organisations express our concern over the violent arrest of Pablo San Martín Chuñil, Jeannette and Javier Troncoso Chuñil, and the former son-in-law of environmental human rights defender and Mapuche leader Julia Chuñil.
According to information shared by family members, the arrest was carried out without regard for special protocols in the presence of children and adolescents, with disproportionate use of force and under the orders of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Los Ríos Region. The formal hearing is pending, so the details of the arrest remain unknown.
This arrest comes one day before the family is due to appear before the Escazú Agreement Compliance Committee, due to the actions and omissions of the Chilean State in the search for justice, truth and reparation in Julia’s case and to ensure the protection and integrity of Julia’s family members, including her children.
Likewise, complaints by Chuñil’s family are part of a series of irregularities committed by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, including the unjustified secrecy and confidentiality of the case, as well as the failure of the prosecuting authorities to recognise Julia Chuñil’s status as an environmental defender. This last point is particularly important because Julia Chuñil was repeatedly threatened before she disappeared on 8 November 2024.
Her role as an environmental defender must be considered the central lens through which to analyse the crimes of which she was a victim, in a climate of violence and structural discrimination as a Mapuche woman.
Today’s arrests also take place in a context in which Chuñil’s children and relatives have been stigmatised through negative and criminalising narratives. Furthermore, this arrest is one of a series of proceedings that have led to the revictimisation and intimidation of Chuñil’s family. In January 2025, one of her daughters was interrogated and forced to admit responsibility for the events. As a result of this action, the family has filed a complaint for unlawful coercion, which is still being prosecuted.
The case of Julia Chuñil, including her disappearance and the ongoing violations faced by her family during the search process, reflects the urgent need for Chile to have a policy of effective guarantees for those who defend the environment. This is in line with the State’s commitment through the ratification of the Escazú Agreement.
The actions in this case demonstrate an open breach of the provisions of the Escazú Agreement and the international obligations of the Chilean State, which have an impact on both Julia’s family and society as a whole, as there are no specific provisions to protect people who defend human rights or who are activists in defence of our rights.
We await the information to be provided by the Public Prosecutor’s Office and demand:
Signatories:
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The adoption of the draft law approving the status of Non-Governmental Organisation in Angola by the National Assembly considerably limits in its provisions the enjoyment of fundamental freedoms and shrinks civic and democratic space. We are calling the Special Rapporteurs on the situation of human rights defenders to help address this situation.
