The authorities nuns who guard a legendary chapel located in the Los Alerces National Parkin the province of chubut -in front of futalaufquen lake—, denounced that the building was vandalized with Mapuche inscriptions and also stickers.
the chapel of The Virgin of the Lake It is located in the heart of the tourist town and is one of the most popular attractions for visitors.
After the celebrations for the consecration of the national team in the Qatar World Cup 2022those responsible for the church verified the damages allegedly caused by members of a Mapuche community that is settled in the vicinity.
In some of the messages one could read, for example: “Spirituality in resistance, maricheu”. Damage was found in the main access, side windows and in an adjoining cabin that is used as a shelter for the missionaries who spend the night in the place.
The chapel is adjacent to the administration of Los Alerces National Park and its owner Hernan Colomb promised to help repair the damage.
The complaint was filed in a position that National Gendarmerie has in the place, whose staff was in charge of carrying out the expert reports in the vicinity.
“We are awaiting instructions from the Justice to know the steps to follow and begin to repair the damage,” said the official.
Despite the fact that no traces of the perpetrators were detected, there is a history of conflict between members of a community mapuche of the place with National Parks personnel.
in december of 2020, members of the lof Paillako usurped the park ranger’s house, within the framework of a territorial recovery plan. The advance of the Mapuches to the state dependency caused, days later, the resignation of the official who was in charge of the facilities.
In January of the same year, the same group usurped other fiscal property and threatened with continuing its expansion on other sites located in the same area.
Simultaneously and as a measure of “support” for those who occupied state housing, other members of the same community occupied offices of National Parks in Lago Pueloin the same province, which later led to a complaint before the federal judge of Esquel, Guido Otranto, and the intervention of the National Institute of Indigenous Affairs (INAI).
This National Park was also the scene of other clashes between members of Mapuche communities with personnel from the public body.
The judicial files also mention an attack with stones on official mobiles, when the park rangers went to the sectional to verify the damage that the building had suffered after another vandalism attack perpetrated by the same hooded.
After those episodes, National Gendarmerie increased the presence of personnel to carry out prevention tasks. The force carried out aerial observations, which led to complaints from the community, for “persecution and intimidation.”
“In this context of harassment both in the judicial and territorial spheres, we reaffirm our conviction to remain in the territory convinced that this is the path towards a full practice of our worldview. We will continue the ancestral legacy of our pu kuifikecheyem, towards the defense of the wallmapu and the liberation we are heading. They will not pass ”, they indicated at that moment from the community.
The vandalized chapel on the weekend constitutes a point of tourist attraction, being highly visited by those who travel the The Larches Parkdue to the particular style of construction and its location, in front of Lake Futalaufquen.
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With Mapuche messages, they vandalized a traditional chapel in Los Alerces National Park