The governor recently met with supposed indigenous communities at the cultural center of Esquel, where other officials such as legislator Jacqueline Caminoa and Esquel's mayor Matias Taccetta were also present. Local media reported that representatives from various communities were present. However, Moira Millán from the Lof Pillan Mahuiza pointed out that out of more than 200 registered communities, only four attended, some of which were not fully represented.
The Mapuche community Santa Rosa Leleque publicly expressed that they learned about the meeting through social media and attended to demand a broader call to all communities. On the other hand, the Mapuche Tehuelche Territorial Organization of Cushamen, made up of 23 communities, claimed that none of them received an invitation to the meeting, which goes against the right to prior consultation and participation established in ILO Convention 169.
The statement from this organization indicated that the omission of this process violates their human rights and disregards their condition as pre-existing peoples to the Argentine State. They pointed out that the meeting seemed to be an attempt at façade in light of previous media actions with racist discourses. They also mentioned events such as the false eviction of the Lof Pailako and the detention of Facundo Jones Huala, defamed by Minister Patricia Bullrich.
Subsequently, more than 50 Mapuche Tehuelche communities issued a statement denying their participation in the meeting called by Governor Ignacio Torres and criticizing the lack of prior consultation and participation, in contradiction to the law. They reiterated the importance of the right to prior consultation to ensure their participation in decisions affecting their territories, culture, and ways of life, and emphasized the need to respect the real authorities of the communities in future dialogues.