Security & Strategic Review - January 2013 (ISSN 1741-4202)

A resurgence of violence in Mapuche territories that began in late December and continued into January provoked the government into placing the need to combat ‘terrorism’ at the top of its agenda — without appearing to have a clear idea of the kind of challenge it is facing or the extent to which it is willing to take repression. Against this backdrop Mapuche leaders announced that their aim is self-determination. After first dismissing this, President Sebastián Piñera granted priority to giving explicit constitutional standing to all ‘originary peoples’.