Mapuche leader Facundo Jones Huala has been on a hunger strike for 8 days. Despite a judicial decision ordering his transfer from the maximum-security prison in Rawson to Esquel, the Ministry of Security is opposing it. It is clear that this is a political decision, as Facundo is in preventive detention for speaking out and for being a thorn in the side of the state.
Initially, Judge Gustavo Zapata had accepted the defense's request for a transfer to the Unit 14 prison in Esquel, which is closer to his family, 900 km away. However, in a new hearing, he backtracked and suspended the transfer, citing the need for an internal body of the Ministry of Security to issue a report first. This appears to be a tactic to buy time and continue violating Facundo's rights.
The Prosecutor's Office, which had previously not objected to the transfer, now argues that the 'Corrective Council' must rule first. The defense sees this as a pretext to act in accordance with the Ministry of Security's political agenda. Facundo's rights, including his freedom of belief and cultural practices as a member of an indigenous people, continue to be trampled.
Facundo Jones Huala's demands include due process, a fair trial, transfer to the Unit 14 in Esquel, the dismissal of all charges against his community members, political recognition of the historical territorial conflict, the return of ancestral lands, and the respect for the cultural rights of indigenous prisoners. He also calls for the intervention of international human rights organizations.
The Ministry of Security, led by Patricia Bullrich, is pressuring the judiciary to prevent the transfer. Even though the court has acknowledged the violation of Facundo's rights, the authorities continue to delay their enforcement using bureaucratic formalities as an excuse.
