Chile: Pichún family takes arson conviction to CIDH, alleges rights violations

The family of Rafael Pichún, a Mapuche activist convicted for arson, will petition the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH) alleging rights violations and seeking his release. Pichún, a former spokesperson for the Coordinadora Arauco Malleco, is serving his sentence in Angol prison. This escalates the long-running conflict between the Chilean state and Mapuche communities to an international human rights forum, though the CIDH process is lengthy and non-binding.