A special commission tasked with addressing land disputes and Indigenous rights in Chile delivered a historic final report to the president earlier this month, making a series of recommendations meant to overhaul state policies and calm violent clashes over land rights. The Presidential Commission for Peace and Understanding sent President Gabriel Boric a list of 21 policy recommendations for strengthening the rights of Indigenous Mapuche. However, the policies may take years to implement or never come to fruition at all, critics say. “It ultimately lacks the essential elements needed to bring true peace to the southern macro-region,” María José Gatica, an opposition senator, said of the report when it was delivered earlier this month. President Boric ordered the creation of the commission in June 2023 to address violent land disputes in southern Chile, including in the Biobío, Araucanía, Los Ríos and Los Lagos regions, where many Mapuche communities are frustrated by a slow land titling process and an influx of logging. Since the late 1990s, some Mapuche activists have attacked logging trucks and construction projects while calling for the creation of an autonomous Indigenous state, often referred to as “Wallmapu.” In April, armed men burned around 50 vehicles and construction equipment at the Rucalhue hydroelectric plant, one of many energy projects constructed on important rivers passing through Mapuche territory. Activists there told Mongabay the projects disrespect their culture and failed to adequately consult with residents about their concerns before starting construction. Over 22 months, the commission held more than 150…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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