On October 20th the Argentine State admitted that the body of anarchist Mapuche solidarity activist Santiago Maldonado had been found in the Chubut river, nearly tree months after his disappearance during a violent police raid on homes near the town of Cushamen. Freedom has collated some of the responses of Santiago’s friends, families and comrades below.

Family statement:

On October 20th the President of the Nation, Mauricio Macri, communicated with Stella, mother of Santiago.

Beyond the inopportune moment chosen for his first call, after a silence of almost 80 days, it is important that the President assume that our only objective is to achieve Justice for Santiago. For this reason, we ask you, as the head of the Executive Branch, to demand that Minister Bullrich give detailed explanations of what has been done in this case by the Ministry responsible and the Argentine National Gendarmerie, guaranteeing full cooperation with Justice in advancement of research. We also reiterate the request for intervention by the International Group of Independent Experts to strengthen it.

With respect to some interpretations raised from the absence of visual injuries in the body of Santiago, we believe that they are premature, misinterpreted by the Judge and intentionally pushed towards opportunistic and petty goals. The statement does not rule out that Santiago has been the victim of violent action that triggered his death, so we must continue waiting for the conclusive results of the experts, ensuring that their work is carried out without any pressure whatsoever.

The attempt to distort the investigation is a new affront to our pain, it violates the prudence and respect demanded by the family. We ask the political leadership, the media and society to help us to move this moment with the greatest possible solidarity, until the Truth is known and justice is achieved.

We appreciate the support and affection of each and every one of the people who accompany us and comfort us in this struggle of every day.

Lastly, we ask all individuals and organisations that decide to manifest themselves in homage to Santiago, asking for Justice in their memory, in Peace and without responding to any provocation that distorts the true claim.

Anarchists in Puerto Montt-Melipulli:

On October 20 ththe relatives of the anarchist companion Santiago Maldonado recognised that the body found in the Chubut River was that of Santiago. As an anarchist collectivity from the other side of the mountain range, we have the obligation to honor the memory of Santiago struggling to clarify all that happened on August 1st in the Mapuche community PU LOF CUSHAMEN DE CHUBUT and above all so that his example and memory stays alive in the fight against the State / Capital.

We know that the companion gave his life by supporting the struggle of the Mapuche brothers who have a conflict with the Italian capitalist Luciano Bennetton, we also know that he was murdered by the gendarmerie, and we added to the only truth; his dead body was planted more than two months later in Rio Chubut by the Argentine State to continue with its assembly. We join the call of the relatives of Santiago Maldonado.

For this reason, we call on all the anarchist comrades of Puerto Montt, every conscientious person, our brothers from the Mapuche settlement, and anyone who wants to be in solidarity with their cause, to participate in a concentration this second October 23rd at 7pm in the Plaza de Armas of Puerto Montt.

Along with this we will begin, against any communication strategy to divert attention, to a propaganda campaign to publicise the murder and the reason why the Argentine State attacked a brother.

Santiago Maldonado will be present in every heartbeat of those who carry a new world in our hearts as well as the fallen anarchist comrades on this side of the mountain range!

Health and Social Revolution!

Rosario Anarchist Federation statement:

In these last days, it has been three years since of the appearance of the body of Luciano Arruga, seven years since the murder of Mariano Ferreira and on October 20th it was confirmed what we all intuited, that the body found on the Chubut river is Santiago Maldonado’s.

A neighbourhood boy disappears because he does not want to steal for the police, one dies at the hands of a pact to fight against labour precarization, and another one was disappeared while fighting for the autonomy of the Mapuche people. In all of them there are elements in common, the repression of the State points to those who are dangerous because it is part of a youth that does not submit, does not bow its head and does not assume the mandates of the system.

Against repression in the neighbourhoods, against precarious labour and for the self-determination of peoples, for all these urgent demands we will continue to fight.

The State showed its most terrible and voracious face, the mechanism of enforced disappearance is a methodology that the dominant classes, with their peculiarities, maintain in the different conjunctures. And also it also appears in media operations, desperate to install in society a discourse that demobilises and seek to blame what has been happening on those below.

Even so, they have not been able to stop gigantic popular mobilisations of various sectors in all this throughout, and they fear for the magnitude of the displeasure and the indignation of our people, that before such an offence to their dignity will appear sooner than later in the streets of all country.

THE ONES WHO DIE FIGHTING LIVE IN EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR COMRADES!

SANTIAGO MALDONADO PRESENT!

Mirta Perel of noticiasanarquistas:

Santiago died. Santiago was killed. They killed him for his ideas. He was killed for opposing power.

This power summons you to vote this Sunday.

It calls you to legitimise all this with your vote, no matter who you vote for. Whatever.

They will win, those who are always winning. Those who continue to kill those who dare to oppose power will gain.

The murder of Santiago is a message. They are telling us what they are capable of doing. We are told that the repressive forces have remained intact since the dictatorship.

That they can kill and will continue to do so.

They’re telling us, we can go and kill any of you. They know there will be some lukewarm protest. They know that many of their leaders play for them and help to calm the mood.

They know that these leaders will take vows and tell the usual lies. They will never say that they play for them.

These shitty leaders we have, who have unwittingly demonstrated on those crucial days that winning or losing a ballot matters them much more than any of our lives.

They know they can make this farce seem more important than a life.

They know they sold us this farce of the People’s Government and we bought it.

They know that voting nothing will change. They manipulate those who win.

This Sunday, for Santiago and for you, do not go voting.

Voting, you show that your death was in vain.

By voting, you show that they keep winning.

By voting, you show that they can continue doing what they want.

Voting since 1983, without any major change, show them that they are right to take us for idiots.

No matter what they do, they always win.

This Sunday, tell them: Put the urns on your wretched tails.

This Sunday, if you want something to change.

Do not go voting.

Assemblea Llibertària l’Oca de Gràcia statement:

We wanted him alive, and the State killed him.

It has happened again, another democratic state has taken away a fellow anarchist, Santiago Maldonado. After 81 days missing, they found his dead body.

On August 1st Santiago participated in a demonstration by the mapuche community resistance of pu lof in cushamen, located in the Argentine province of chubut.

That was the last time he was seen alive before he was arrested by the national gendarmerie.

In the context of legislative elections in Argentina, we observe with rage such as opposition and different political actors instrumentalise the partner for his own electoral ends, hiding his anarchist affiliation and his fight against the State.

We do not care about their power games, we do not want to delegitimise a party or a particular person, it is capitalism itself and democracy that still performing as a champion of freedom, continues to murder those who do not fit into their model of society.

Today we mourn your death, but these are tears of rage that propel us even more in our anarchist convictions.

All our support and solidarity with the family.

A greeting to the who are facing these moments in the Argentine streets with the murder police.

Let the earth be a mild companion.

The Best Tribute, continue the fight.