[mobglob-discuss] MAPUCHE FAMILIES EVICTED FROM THEIR ANCESTRAL LANDS

[ClaudioE.]

The Invisible Colours of Benetton

Press Release - 10TH June 2004

Mapuche families evicted from ancestral lands by Benetton

Having formed a coalition with European and North American partner
organisations, Mapuche International Link today launched a campaign
denouncing the commercial activities of the clothing Corporation Benetton.
Despite Benetton's much hyped media campaigns, claiming to be a company
committed to promoting the needs of the poor and dispossessed their
treatment of the Mapuche is far from philanthropic. Scratch beneath the
gloss of Benetton's often beautiful & poignant media campaigns and you'll
find a company committed to putting profit before people.

Since Benetton's arrival in Argentina there have been a significant number
of Mapuche families evicted from their ancestral Land. The most recent
eviction, this time of the Curinanco-Rua Nahualquir family, took place on
the 31st May 2004.

Benetton's land holdings in Argentina were acquired from The Southern
Argentinian Land Company, whose right to the land title is historically
disputed not only by the Mapuche and their lawyers, but also by a rapidly
growing Argentinean popular consensus, who would like to see the company and
others like it investigated and dissolved. Given the Mapuche claims to the
land, Benetton is in direct contravention of the Codes of Conduct of the
European Union (Resolution 15/11/99).

The land itself, approximately 2.2 million acres in the Patagonian provinces
of Neuquen, Rio Negro, Chubut and Santa Cruz was taken from the Mapuche
during the violent Desert Campaigns of the late nineteenth century, at the
hands of Argentinian colonialists; sold on to British owned Southern
Argentinian Land Company; later to an Anonymous company and finally to
Benetton.

Perpetuating the colonial practice of exploitation, Benetton are working to
actively deny a people of their land and a community of their means of
economic subsistence. However, Benetton's spokesman, Alberto Mazzuchelli,
said in response to the evictions of the Curinanco-Rua Nahualquir family,
'National and local government will now have to address the housing problems
of the Mapuche Community'. He added: 'As a business, what we provide is jobs
'. Surely Benetton's actions in Mapuche territory make the people
susceptible to the sort of exploitation that leads many of the worlds
poorest into what Benetton so aptly describe in their Colours 53: Campaign
as 'Modern Slavery'.

Reynaldo Mariqueo, General Secretary of MIL says: "Benetton change their
stance as a chameleon changes its colour. On the one hand they promote the
notion of a world of multicultural and ethnic harmony as reflected in their
'United Color' slogan, presenting themselves as benefactors of the poor. In
reality however, they let no obstacle stand in their way in order to get
what they want. They are happy to take away the basic means of subsistence
from members of indigenous communities - the most vulnerable and
discriminated against people in the world".

Mapuche International Link (MIL) is an organisation committed to promoting
the cause of the Mapuche, who are the Indigenous People of southern Chile
and Argentina. Based in Bristol, England, MIL works in partnership with
other Mapuche Organisations around the world and with organisations that
support the needs of the world's indigenous and unrepresented people.