Who usurps from whom?
28 May 2004 08:32 GMTWhat began as a trial against the Mapuche for land usurpation ended today with the questioning of the historical legitimacy of the Company of Southern Argentine Lands, in the hands of the Benetton multinational.
The proceedings against the Curiñanco-Nahuelquir family showed the obvious: there were never any real motives to initiate a penal judgement for territorial "usurpation." The indictment of the Attorney General, the accusing party, paradoxically showed that none of the factors which make up the indictment corresponded with the facts under judgement: deception, abuse of confidence, secrecy, threats and violence.
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This trial showed once again the application of the "Colabelli Doctrine" in the Chubut province: conflicts that should have been settled in the civilian realm settled under penal jurisdiction to ensure the "return" of lands to the accusing "owners" and, in all cases, to the local landowners and multinationals. This allowed the ordering of preventive violent evictions before the ownership of the land was settled.
With the penal question resolved, the most important conflict remains up close: the legitimacy of the property tiles which were presented by the Company of Southern Argentine Lands.
The defense asked that this debate evolve into a new criminal trial, one questioning the legitimacy of the property titles which the Company has presented in connection to over 900,000 hectares. And so, a debate is opened regarding the true history of the "Conquest," and the subsequent distribution of the patagonian lands. The Company, however, insists on taking this no further, claiming that the titles (which date to 1896) and the rulings that have taken place are enough.
During the entire plea, the Benetton representative appealed directly to the audience present. Mixing a victim attitude and a pedagogical tone he explained that the entire notion of private property was affected. In front of him were over 200 mapuche and non-mapuche to whom Rosa's and Atilio's words resonated: "We cannot usurp our own land, we are part of this land and we want to keep on living on it. Benetton cannot accuse us of being usurpers, they are the usurpers now. The truth will prevail above all."
Your lands
rainbow 30.May.2004 09:15
Thank you very Much for your article. I am very fluent in English, but I was wondering if you could do me a favour from now on. PLEASE, do not use English in BIG words and complicated words that are hard to Understand. I Really do Not understand exactly what you are talking about? Is the Bennetton Corporation trying to take your Land away from you - is that what you are trying to say? Please just use Simple plain english from now on, I would Really Appreciate it in the future! Thank you.