Chile Blogs: Elena Varela Protest in front of Tribunals of Justice

Today at the Tribunals of Justicia in Santiago many protestors and journalist gather in support of arrested documentary filmmaker Elena Varela López, who has been detained since 7 May and is currently in Rancagua prison. She has been working for more than three years on a major documentary project - Newen Mapuche - about the Mapuche people and their territorial claims, for which she received funding from broadcasting institutes attached to the culture ministry.

Sergio Laurenti Director of Amnesty International in Chile said of the protest today said,
"Amnesty International has sent out an international petition for the release of Elena Varela to the Presidente of Chile Michelle Bachelete. We feel that the freedom of expression is in peril when a Chilean documentary filmmaker is arrested for making a film and her recording are used for evidence .

We think that the consequences of this case is very serious as we have seen other examples of arrests of other journalists and documentary filmmakers in the last few months . As well as other examples of journalists being arrested or injured by police while doing there job.

We have received 1500 online signatures for the petitions as of today and we are getting lots of attention internationally as well. We have sent letters to the from the Minister of the Interior, Culture and the President of Chile , as of today we have not received any response back.

There are many issue but the most serious is the freedom of express
Paulina Acevedo , journalist for the Observatorio de Derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas spoke passionately after visiting with Elena on Sunday as part of group of journalists ,documentary filmmakers and representative from Ammensty International Chile.She spoke crying many times of injustice she felt was at the heart of this case and transmitted that to the crowd.
(Elena Varela Rancagua Jail Visit story)

The large crowd try to storm the doors of the Tribunals of Justicia and were locked out by the Police and where force back as they tried to get inside.

Is the Mapuche issue a taboo subject, a synonym for press freedom violations? We hope that Chilean and foreign journalists will be given guarantees that they will henceforth be able to work safely in Araucania. We also hope that the police and judicial authorities will provide the explanations and clarification that is needed in the Varela case.

Story and Photos By: Christian Peña