Chilean Mapuche leader Julia Chuñil has been missing for eight months

Santiago, Chile, Jul 9 (Prensa Latina) Eight months after the disappearance of Mapuche leader Julia Chuñil, the case remains unsolved, and social organizations blame the Chilean government for the lack of progress in the investigation.

July 9, 2025
10:17

The 73-year-old president of the Mapuche community of Putreguel was last seen on November 8 when she left her home to feed the animals.

Her family affirmed that she had received death threats for defending the native forest.

To demand truth and justice, dozens of people, including representatives of indigenous peoples, participated in a vigil on Tuesday evening in front of La Moneda Palace, the seat of government. Protesters previously marched through several streets in the capital, stopping at the National Corporation for Indigenous Development (CONADI) and the Public Prosecutor’s Office to demand the removal of Los Rios prosecutor Tatiana Esquivel from the case.

Representatives of environmental organizations and human rights activists also denounce the harassment of Chuñil’s family and the attempt to blame them for the disappearance of the indigenous leader.

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