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CHILE has extended a controversial state of emergency in the south of the country where armed forces have been accused of repression of the Mapuche people.
The Senate approved the measures in the La Arucania and Biobio regions by 19 votes to 15 with one abstention following a request from President Sebastien Pinera.
It was the fourth time the state of emergency has been extended, having already been approved by the lower house.
The new restrictions will run from December 26 until January 10.
Mr Pinera has been accused of criminalising the country’s indigenous people with the deployment of troops to the Mapuche areas.
He insists the measures are necessary to deal with “repeated acts of violence linked to drug-trafficking, terrorism and organised crime committed by armed groups” but has yet to provide evidence.
The Mapuche, who make up 12 per cent of the Chilean population, say they are defending their homeland from logging and mining companies.
They are the only indigenous people in Latin America not recognised in the constitution, though that looks set to change as Mapuche academic Elisa Loncon has been elected chair of a new constitutional convention.
