Mapuche Prisoners End Hungerstrike

by Gwynne Hogan, Santiago Times,Thursday, 25 October 2012

The four Mapuche prisoners have ended their hunger strike in Chile.

Four indigenous Mapuche prisoners who went without food for 60 days in southern Chile’s Angol Prison called off their fast on Thursday after a Supreme Court decision overturned two of their sentences.

Terminating their hunger strike also put an end to the suspense as to whether prison authorities would force feed them. A court decision last week gave prison guards the right to force feed the strikers, the prospect of which had human rights groups in Chile up in arms.

Mapuches rushed to hospital after 45-day hunger strike in Chile

By Gwynne Hogan, Santiago Times, Thursday, 11 October 2012

Four Mapuche youth on hunger strike.

Amnesty International warns force feeding Mapuche political prisoners would be breach of human rights.

After being rushed to a hospital Wednesday night, the fate of four indigenous hunger strikers now hangs on a decision by the Court of Appeals on whether authorities will be allowed to force feed them. At the time of publication, the protesters were in critical condition in a hospital in Concepción, 310 miles south of Santiago.