President Boric participates in launch of Presidential Commission for Peace and Understanding and announces its members

President Gabriel Boric has participated in the launch of the Presidential Commission for Peace and Understanding. The commission was announced by the president himself last November. Its purpose is to lay the foundations for a medium and long-term solution in matters of land and reparations for Mapuche communities, contributing, in turn, to greater harmony between inhabitants of the Biobío, La Araucanía, Los Ríos and Los Lagos regions. 

The commission will have an open agenda, but a specific mandate: to determine the Mapuche communities’ real demand for land and to propose specific and diverse reparation mechanisms. In this sense, the work of the commission members will focus on proposing a state solution to the demand for land, through an institutional channel that has the support of a broad political, social and business spectrum. 

The Presidential Commission for Peace and Understanding will be made up of eight people, two of them put forward by the Biobío and La Araucanía Regional Government. It will have executive powers. 

The presidential commissioner, Víctor Ramos, will take on the role of executive secretary, and will act as the link between the work carried out by the commission and the government. 

A team of experts on land, indigenous rights, cadastres and ad hoc background information gathering will provide technical support to the commission, in order to offer a well-rounded framework for conversation and guarantees to the different stakeholders. This group will be selected by the commissioners and the executive secretary’s office. 

Members

Francisco Huenchumilla Jaramillo

Francisco Huenchumilla Jaramillo holds a Degree in Law from the Universidad de Chile. He is an academic and Senator for La Araucanía Region. A former Secretary General of the Presidency and former Navy Undersecretary, he has been a deputy for three consecutive terms, regional governor and mayor of Temuco. He is currently vice president of the Senate.

Alfredo Moreno Charme

Alfredo Moreno Charme holds a Degree in Industrial Civil Engineering from the Pontificia Universidad Católica and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Chicago. He is a former minister of Public Works, Foreign Affairs and Social Development and Family. He is currently director and founding partner of the 3xi corporation. 

Carmen Gloria Aravena Acuña

Carmen Gloria Aravena Acuña is an agricultural engineer and Partido Republicano de Chile Senator for La Araucanía Region. She was municipal administrator for the municipality of Traiguén and director of Fundación Chol-Chol in Nueva Imperial. 

Sebastián Naveillán Mebus

Sebastián Naveillán Mebus is an agriculturalist and president of the Asociación de Agricultores Victoria Malleco A.G. He actively participated in implementing Plan Cosecha Segura (Safe Harvest Plan). 

Emilia Nuyado Ancapichún

Emilia Nuyado Ancapichún is a deputy for the 25th district of Los Lagos Region. She is a social leader with more than 25 years of experience in social work associated with rural women’s committees and indigenous communities. She was a counselor for the municipality of San Pablo for four consecutive terms.  

Adolfo Millabur Ñancuil

Adolfo Millabur Ñancuil is a social and political leader in different Mapuche organizations. His work has focused on the restitution of Mapuche rights and the defense of the coastline. He was a counselor and later mayor of the municipality of Tirúa for six terms. He was also a constitutional delegate. 

Gloria Callupe Rain

Gloria Callupe Rain is a social worker and academic. She is currently studying a Master’s in Local and Regional Human Development at the Universidad Santo Tomás. She is currently in charge of the Indigenous Peoples Unit at the Biobío Regional Government. 

Juan Pablo Lepín

Juan Pablo Lepín is a lawyer and chief of staff for the Governor of La Araucanía. He was executive director of Multigremial de La Araucanía and president of the Asociación de Viñateros de La Araucanía.

Executive Secretary 

Víctor Ramos Muñoz

Víctor Ramos Muñoz holds a Degree in Psychology from the Universidad de Viña del Mar (UVM) and a Master’s in Applied Social Studies from the University of Zaragoza, Spain. He was appointed by President Gabriel Boric Font as Presidential Commissioner for Peace and Understanding and national head of Plan Buen Vivir (Good Living Plan), an initiative of the Ministry of the Secretary General of the Presidency. 

Specific objectives 

• To systematize the current and historical situation of Mapuche land and review international experiences, in order to find the best alternatives that can help contribute to a resolution in Chile. 
• To establish a channel for dialogue with the different stakeholders involved in these matters, such as regional governments, local governments, communities, trade associations, farmers, victims of violence and citizens in general. 
• To prepare a proposal of the changes needed to reach an agreement on the existing land demand, diversifying reparation mechanisms and producing the improvements and legislative and institutional modifications necessary for this task. 
• To promote justice initiatives for the Mapuche people and a comprehensive reparation proposal for all victims, as well as to incorporate elements to improve the lives and development of all inhabitants of the areas involved. 
• To establish a process of dialogue in order to produce a preliminary agreement with Mapuche communities to reconcile the expectations currently held in terms of reparations with the real avenues that the Chilean State can offer. This preliminary agreement must also be discussed with groups of diverse political representation and different regional stakeholders, seeking a transversal consensus to make the necessary reforms viable. 
• To deliver a report to the President and National Congress to move forward with the required institutional and legislative modifications, including Law 19.253. Once the reforms are approved, the commission’s work will end and implementation of the measures will begin.