A Catholic church in Collipulli, in the Araucanía region
of Chile, was burnt down in the early hours of 9 August. The church, San Andres
Chapel, is one of 16 churches destroyed by arson attacks since December
2015.
Both Catholic and Protestant churches have
been targeted in
the Araucanía and Bío-Bío regions of the country and despite a government
investigation it is still unclear who exactly is behind
them.
These
regions have a long history of unrest due to the strong presence of Mapuche
indigenous separatist or pro-autonomy groups; however, these groups have not
historically targeted churches. Nevertheless, leaflets and signs left at the
sites of the burned down churches have called for the release of Mapuche
‘political prisoners’.
Local sources have told Christian Solidarity Worldwide
(CSW) that the targeting of churches has perplexed many in the regions given
that approximately 90% of the Mapuche are Christian, either Catholic or
Protestant. CSW.
