La politización de la etnicidad en la posdictadura chilena: Estado, activismo mapuche e institucionalidad en crisis

Abstract

En los últimos treinta años, diferentes organizaciones del movimiento mapuche se han posicionado como actores sociales relevantes en el escenario político chileno. Desde las vías institucionales, como los municipios o gobiernos locales indígenas, pasando por sectores que se piensan en resistencia contra las agresiones del modelo capitalista, hasta grupos que plantean demandas e implementan acciones en la arena del derecho internacional. Con todo, esta gran heterogeneidad de expresiones de organización etnopolíticas desvela un paisaje de posiciones en un contexto de neoliberalismo, reformas multiculturales y crisis de legitimidad. El objetivo principal de esta investigación es analizar la dinámica política institucional del movimiento mapuche durante la posdictadura chilena, colocando énfasis en el proceso constituyente y las revueltas que comenzaron en octubre de 2019. A partir de la formación de un gobierno local con alcalde mapuche en la comuna de Tirúa, zona habitada mayoritariamente por comunidades lafkenche, el trabajo examina los discursos, acciones y estrategias de tres organizaciones indígenas que han ocupado las vías institucionales del sistema político nacional para articular demandas de reconocimiento, territorio y autonomía. Ellas son: la Identidad Territorial Lafkenche, el Partido Político Wallmapuwen y la Asociación de Municipalidades con Alcalde Mapuche. La tesis rastrea la política mapuche contemporánea por medio de diversos proyectos en torno a las conflictivas relaciones que se han construido con el Estado chileno. El estudio desea igualmente poner en evidencia que los municipios son campos de múltiples disputas, donde intervienen distintos liderazgos y perspectivas sobre la política, y donde las identidades étnicas desempeñan un papel cada vez más relevante. Asimismo, el caso de Tirúa demuestra que los municipios se han convertido en instancias claves de poder local, y quizás más relevante aún, que la reemergencia de la etnicidad está representada en la actualidad por diferentes expresiones y rutas de formación, dentro y fuera de las estructuras e instituciones del Estado, pero cuyo denominador común es la pregunta sobre cómo hacer realidad el derecho a la autodeterminación del pueblo mapuche.

In the last thirty years, different organizations of the Mapuche movement have positioned themselves as relevant social actors in the Chilean political scenario. From institutional channels, such as municipalities or indigenous local governments, to sectors that think of themselves as resisting the aggressions of the capitalist model, to groups that make demands and implement actions in the arena of international law. All in all, this great heterogeneity of expressions of ethnopolitical organization reveals a landscape of positions in a context of neoliberalism, multicultural reforms and crisis of legitimacy. The main objective of this research is to analyze the institutional political dynamics of the Mapuche movement during the Chilean post-dictatorship, placing emphasis on the constituent process and the revolts that began in October 2019. Starting from the formation of a local government with a Mapuche mayor in the commune of Tirúa, an area inhabited mostly by Lafkenche communities, the work examines the discourses, actions and strategies of three indigenous organizations that have occupied the institutional channels of the existing political system to articulate demands for recognition, territory and autonomy. They are: the Lafkenche Territorial Identity, the Wallmapuwen Political Party and the Association of Municipalities with Mapuche Mayors. The thesis traces contemporary Mapuche politics through various projects around the conflictive relations that have been built with the Chilean State. The study also wishes to show that municipalities are fields of multiple disputes, where different leaderships and political perspectives intervene, and where ethnic identities play an increasingly relevant role. Likewise, the case of Tirúa demonstrates that municipalities have become key instances of local power, and perhaps even more relevant, that the re-emergence of ethnicity is currently represented by different expressions and routes of formation, within and outside the structures and institutions of the State, but whose common denominator is the question of how to make the Mapuche people's right to self-determination a reality.In the last thirty years, different organizations of the Mapuche movement have positioned themselves as relevant social actors in the Chilean political scenario. From institutional channels, such as municipalities or indigenous local governments, to sectors that think of themselves as resisting the aggressions of the capitalist model, to groups that make demands and implement actions in the arena of international law. All in all, this great heterogeneity of expressions of ethnopolitical organization reveals a landscape of positions in a context of neoliberalism, multicultural reforms and crisis of legitimacy. The main objective of this research is to analyze the institutional political dynamics of the Mapuche movement during the Chilean post-dictatorship, placing emphasis on the constituent process and the revolts that began in October 2019. Starting from the formation of a local government with a Mapuche mayor in the commune of Tirúa, an area inhabited mostly by Lafkenche communities, the work examines the discourses, actions and strategies of three indigenous organizations that have occupied the institutional channels of the existing political system to articulate demands for recognition, territory and autonomy. They are: the Lafkenche Territorial Identity, the Wallmapuwen Political Party and the Association of Municipalities with Mapuche Mayors. The thesis traces contemporary Mapuche politics through various projects around the conflictive relations that have been built with the Chilean State. The study also wishes to show that municipalities are fields of multiple disputes, where different leaderships and political perspectives intervene, and where ethnic identities play an increasingly relevant role. Likewise, the case of Tirúa demonstrates that municipalities have become key instances of local power, and perhaps even more relevant, that the re-emergence of ethnicity is currently represented by different expressions and routes of formation, within and outside the structures and institutions of the State, but whose common denominator is the question of how to make the Mapuche people's right to self-determination a reality.