Concern over possible reprisals against Mapuche Williche women human rights defenders following an international advocacy visit

Front Line Defenders expresses its concern regarding the persistent context of stigmatisation, harassment, surveillance and criminalisation faced by Mapuche Williche human rights defenders in Chile, and warns of the risk that these attacks may intensify following the recent advocacy visit in Norway to denounce the impacts of Statkraft’s operations on ancestral Mapuche territory.

Between 22 and 25 September 2026, representatives of the Aylla Rewe of the Ngen Mapu Kintuantü, together with the Project on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ProDESC) and the Transnational Justice Initiative (IJT), visited Oslo to raise awareness of the complaint lodged with the Norwegian Consumer Authority against Statkraft AS, a Norwegian state-owned company and one of Europe’s leading producers of renewable energy. The complaint calls for an investigation into the company’s compliance with its human rights due diligence obligations in relation to its Rucatayo and Los Lagos hydroelectric projects, located in the Pilmaiquén river basin in Chile. During the visit, the delegation met with Norwegian parliamentarians, civil society organisations, representatives of the Saami People’s Council and the media, with the aim of strengthening alliances and promoting accountability regarding Statkraft’s operations and those of the relevant Norwegian institutions.

These concerns arise against a backdrop of sustained attacks against members of the Aylla Rewe of the Ngen Mapu Kintuantü and, in particular, against Machi Millaray Huichalaf, a Mapuche Williche spiritual leader and land defender, who for more than a decade has been involved in defending the Pilmaiquén River, sacred sites and the collective rights of the communities.

Machi Millaray Huichalaf has faced stigmatisation, criminalisation and harassment linked to her work in defence of territory. In 2013, she was arrested as part of a criminal investigation and spent nearly eight months in pre-trial detention before being convicted of the offence of arson as an accomplice. Her defence team has argued before national and international bodies that the law has been applied unequally to her prejudice due to her role as a Machi and a social leader.

Harassment and repression have also affected the communities that collectively participate in the defence of the territory. In 2023, Mapuche Williche communities held a further demonstration against the hydroelectric centralpower station. Carabineros officers suppressed the protest, leaving five people injured, one of whom suffered an eye injury caused by a pellet. In light of these events, the National Institute of Human Rights (INDH) in Chile announced legal action over the indiscriminate use of anti-riot shotguns.

That same year, human rights defender Machi Millaray Huichalaf was detained at Paris airport along with her partner, Jaime Javier Uribe Montiel, and her youngest daughter, following an alleged warrant issued by the Chilean Investigative Police (PDI). The woman human rights defender and her family were travelling to Oslo, Norway, where she had been invited to give a lecture at the University of Bergen.

In April 2025, the PDI carried out a large-scale operation in Mapuche Williche territory, which resulted in the arrest of Felipe Trunci González, a member of the Aylla Rewe of the Ngen Mapu Kintuantü and a human rights defender in the municipality of Puyehue. In May 2025, on the road to Temuco, a city in southern Chile, Jaime Javier Uribe Montiel was detained by police officers while accompanying the Machi on a healing tour. The incident occurred during a roadside check on the road to Temuco, without justification or the presentation of a a warrant.

In August 2025, officers from the Special Anti-Kidnapping Investigations Brigade of the PDI in Valdivia carried out a raid on the home of the Machi Millaray Huichalaf. Around 30 armed officers took part in the operation, storming the property even in the presence of children and teenagers. The raid was in addition to other acts of harassment, such as constant surveillance and drone flights over her residence and those of other community members.

Concerns about possible reprisals following the tour of Norway have been increased by recent events. Although in July 2026 a local court found the media outlet BioBio Chile guilty of arbitrary discrimination against the Machi in its reports, articles continue to circulate that stigmatise her and her community. In September 2026, a Chilean media outlet published information identifying members of ProDESC and IJT by their full names and photographs, as well as disclosing details regarding the funding and strategies of both organisations. Furthermore, while the delegation was in Oslo, unknown individuals were spotted taking photographs of its members without their consent. Together, these circumstances evidence acts of surveillance, profiling and intimidation directed against those participating in this advocacy process.

Human rights defenders have the right to use national, international and inter-state mechanisms to report possible human rights violations and demand accountability, without fear of reprisals as a result. The participation of Mapuche Williche communities in mechanisms for transparency and corporate due diligence must not be used to increase their exposure to harassment, criminalisation or surveillance.

Front Line Defenders points out that the situation of the Mapuche Williche people forms part of a broader context of criminalisation and stigmatisation of Mapuche human rights defenders in Chile. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has already established the existence of patterns of criminalisation of Mapuche leaders through the use of anti-terrorism legislation and has highlighted the intimidating effect that these practices can have on those who stand up for their territorial rights.

Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Chile to:

• Take all necessary measures to guarantee the life, physical integrity, safety and freedom of Machi Millaray Huichalaf, the other traditional authorities and human rights defenders who form part of the Aylla Rewe of the Ngen Mapu Kintuantü, as well as their families and communities, paying particular attention to the period following their return from Norway;
• Investigate with a view to bringing those responsible to account for acts of threats, intimidation, stigmatisation, harassment and criminalisation against the members of Aylla Rewe of the Ngen Mapu Kintuantü.
• Ensure that law enforcement, investigative and judicial institutions act in accordance with international human rights standards and that their actions are not used to obstruct, intimidate or criminalise the legitimate exercise of the defence of human rights;
• Ensure that Mapuche Williche human rights defenders, both individuals and communities, are able to freely defend their collective, cultural and spiritual rights and protect their territories and sacred sites without fear of reprisals.

Front Line Defenders urges the Government of Norway to:

• Monitor, through the relevant diplomatic and institutional channels, the situation of the human rights defenders who took part in the tour, and to engage in dialogue with the authorities in Chile to ensure their safety and protection against any acts of reprisal related to their work in defence of human rights;
• Use all mechanisms at its disposal, including those arising from its responsibility as the State of origin and owner of Statkraft, and relevant legal frameworks such as the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct, the Norwegian Transparency Act and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) to ensure that the company’s operations respect the human rights of the Mapuche Williche communities and do not contribute, either directly or indirectly, to risks faced by human rights defenders.

Front Line Defenders urges Statkraft AS to:

• Refrain from any action that may directly or indirectly contribute to the stigmatisation, criminalisation, intimidation or reprisals against members of Aylla Rewe of Ngen Mapu Kintuantü and other human rights defenders carrying out their legitimate work in defence of human rights and territories;
• Adopt effective due diligence measures, fulfilling its obligations in accordance with the relevant legal frameworks, to identify, prevent, mitigate and remedy the human rights impacts associated with its operations in Mapuche Williche territory, dedicating efforts to ensuring the safe and meaningful participation of human rights defenders throughout the project’s lifecycle, and paying particular attention to the risks they face;
• Use its influence over contractors, suppliers and other stakeholders linked to its operations to prevent acts of harassment or reprisal against communities and their representatives, and declare a zero-tolerance policy towards reprisals.