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Chilean Cops In Running Gun Battle With Arsonists
Published 3 years ago
Video shows a chaotic gun battle in which Chilean Carabinero, basically military police, attempt to apprehend suspected Mapuche arsonists, but the suspects allude the officers.
Although several shots are exchanged at close range, it doesn't appear anyone on either side was struck. For whatever reason, the officers try chasing the suspect vehicle on foot rather than mounting their own vehicles to pursue.
The conflict between government forces and the indigenous Mapuche people stems back to Chile's restructuring of government and transition to democracy in the 1990's. The ethnic Mapuche believe they have been forced out of their ancestral homes and land to which they claim inherent rights. The Mapuche activists have carried out arson against farms and forests and violent occupations of properties in protest.