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WAM member formally charged with Mapuche community member's murder
🇨🇱 Chile /Crime & Justice

WAM member formally charged with Mapuche community member's murder

From Cooperativa · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement In the courts
  • A member of the radical Weichan Auka Mapu (WAM) group, Robinson Parra Sáez, has been formally charged with the 2022 murder of Mapuche community member Manuel Huenupil.
  • The arrest is part of an ongoing investigation that has already led to convictions for other individuals involved in the crime.
  • Prosecutors are seeking pretrial detention for Parra Sáez due to flight risk and the severity of the charges.

Robinson Parra Sáez, identified as a member of the radical Weichan Auka Mapu (WAM) group, faces formal charges for his alleged role in the 2022 murder of Mapuche community member Manuel Huenupil. The proceedings are taking place at the Guarantee Court of Carahue.

Parra Sáez was apprehended in an operation near Tirúa in the Biobío Region. Prosecutor César Schibar highlighted that this arrest is a continuation of a complex investigation by the High Complexity Prosecutor's Office and the Investigative Police. This investigation has previously resulted in convictions for other individuals implicated in the same crime.

Schibar noted that earlier in the month, five WAM members received sentences of 16 years each for simple homicide and illegal firearm possession. Additionally, the trial for Sergio Henríquez Valenzuela, considered the leader of WAM by investigators, is scheduled for December.

During the hearing in Carahue, the prosecution announced it would request pretrial detention for Parra Sáez, citing the risk of him fleeing and the gravity of the alleged offenses. The investigation suggests the motive for the homicide was linked to the victim's Mapuche identity.

Exigiremos la prisión preventiva de Parra Sáez, fundamentando el riesgo procesal y la gravedad de los hechos imputados

— César SchibarProsecutor stating the request for pretrial detention
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Cooperativa in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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