Chaco: incidents after the disappearance of a young man from the Wichi community

In the area of El Impenetrable, Chaco, members of the Wichi community of Nueva Pompeya filled the streets after the disappearance of a young man, tried to enter the municipality and clashed with local police. Three weeks after the disappearance of a 17-year-old boy, protesters appeared on Saturday at the local police station and began to advance, entering the building, in which “they broke glass and windows,” according to Diario Chaco.In claim for the delay in finding the young man, the demonstrators re-entered the local police station this Sunday, which provoked a greater response from the security agencies. With cross-clashes, 12 policemen were injured and 21 people arrested, including the president of the Wichi community. Also, at the express request of the Chaco government, members of the Gendarmerie arrived in the province to help control the situation. “The reinforcement of the National Gendarmerie consists of three teams composed of four vehicles and five troops each, with appropriate equipment. They will make rotations from Fort Esperanza and random patrols in Mission Nueva Pompeya, “said the Undersecretary of Communication of Chaco.For his part, Jorge Capitanich, governor of Chaco, said that “after the episodes of violence public order has been restored and now a process of deep investigation will begin to solve the underlying problems.” In that sense, he later remarked that “the popular reaction of the original communities arises in demand for access to justice.”

Original source in Spanish