Children’s Fall in Chuñil: NGO Behind “Activist Conspiracy” and Clues Against Them
When Julia del Carmen Chuñil Catricura disappeared on November 8, 2024, she lived with her daughter, Jeannette Troncoso Chuñil, and her son-in-law, B.F.B.B. That morning she headed early towards her old house, a wooden construction she built near ancestral Mapuche territory that had become an occupation. There, according too teh investigation by the Los Ríos Regional Prosecutor’s Office, she met her death.
The perpetrators? Her three children, according to the Public Ministry: Pablo San Martín Chuñil, Javier Troncoso Chuñil, and Jeannette.They are joined by the aforementioned B.
Although the prosecution and police have maintained extreme secrecy so far,sources consulted by this media outlet who have closely followed the investigation claim that the parricide occurred that same spring afternoon,after the mother confronted her children.
and although leaks pointed to everything originating from the inheritance of some land that could only be occupied by Pablo upon his mother’s death, the truth is that the origin was very different. in reality, those same sources say, it was due to a robbery committed by one of her sons, Javier, against a 90-year-old man. He lived in a small house next to Julia’s and was cared for by the victim.
The Attack
According to the prosecution in Thursday’s hearing, the defendant demanded the delivery of the cash money he had in his possession, the result of collecting his pension. About $212,000 that he collected every month by mail,which the Chuñil family knew about.
Simply put, those informed in the matter assure that on the same day of her disappearance, she – upon learning what was happening – reprimanded her children. All this is known from the statement of the ex-son-in-law, B., who recently testified in the case.According to the investigation, Javier pounced on the elderly man – initials N.G.P. – with punches to the face, then threatened him with a knife to the neck.
she, intervening, was attacked. The altercation – sources familiar with the events say - intensified and ended in Julia’s death,who was allegedly suffocated by Javier. The latter and Pablo allegedly transported the body to an unknown location, where it was buried.It is indeed presumed that she was buried near her home. hence, this Wednesday they resumed excavations at the scene.
“my representa”
Concerns arose that Julia Chuñil had been the victim of kidnapping, or even an attempted assassination. Pablo Chuñil,her son,based these suspicions on his mother’s identity as a Mapuche communal member dedicated to “the conservation and preservation of local biodiversity native to her lands,alongside small-scale livestock farming.”
Pablo and lawyers from the NGO then directed accusations at Juan Carlos Morstadt Anwandter, the original landowner. “The threats and attacks became so common that my mother, Julia Chuñil, began to warn us, her family and close contacts, about this individual.” According to them, she “explicitly” stated that anything that happened to her would be “his fault.”
from there, Pablo’s account became interwoven with terminology from the NGO, referencing “intersectional violence” and ”gender-based violence against rural women.” They also used the opportunity to highlight the importance of the Escazú Agreement.
“Regarding my mother’s work, notably it is recognized in the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin america and the Caribbean, known as the Escazú Agreement (…) which mandates guaranteeing a safe and enabling environment for people, groups and organizations that promote and defend human rights in environmental matters to act without threats, restrictions and insecurity.”
The legal complaint sparked an “activist conspiracy” that spread beyond the Los Ríos region, throughout Chile. The government of President Gabriel Boric even linked Chuñil’s disappearance to possible persecution due to her role as an “environmental defender.”
The resulting pressure led the Public Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the case using the standards outlined in the Escazú Agreement protocol.