Shea, S. (2011, December 20 ). Chile's

Shea, S. (2011, December 20 ). Chile's Mapuche community finds international support. Santiago Times. This newspaper article is about a request made to the United Nation by a group of authors, artists, and academics from Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Mexico, Guatemala and the United States to help stop the violence against the Mapuche people. The letter addressed to the UN Rapporteur for the Rights of Indigenous People, sort for an immediate intervention. The Mapuche are about 600,000 in number and mainly reside in the Araucania Region of southern Chile.

This is a ten-year conflict based on land dispute between Chilean government and the Mapuche Indians. The Mapuche claim ancestral land ownership and on the other hand, the government is keen on using it for development projects. In the letter, the group accuses the police of using excessive force, citing human rights abuse against the Mapuche. They accused the government of neglecting the rights of the indigenous people while focusing on attaining economic power.

Annotation: The Santiago Times founded in 1990, is a newspaper published in Santiago that circulates in Chile and many regions of Latin America. It reports majorly on environment and socio economic issues. The paper is available online in both English and Spanish languages. The Santiago Times focus on reporting the Mapuche struggle and that is essential for this topic. However, there is possibility of biasness due to the sensitivity of the Mapuche issue in Chile.

The paper is relevant to this topic because it covers every issue that affects the Mapuche and is focused on the struggle with dedicated reporting. Besides, the paper is Chilean and Mapuche issue is a Chilean issue. Santiago Times is straight on issues and is not an entertainment paper. With Steve Shea, especially on the ongoing Mapuche strangle, it is definite that there is comprehensive coverage shedding light on the happenings in Araucania. Quilodran, F. (2011, June 3). Chile Court rules on case of Mapuche Indians. The Seattle Times.

Abstract: This article is on a Chilean court's ruling that downgraded convictions from murder to assault and robbery against four Mapuche activists. Despite the downgrading, the ruling did not help the situation, the convicts continued with their action against what they termed as use of anti-terrorism law against the Mapuche people. The four were hoping to be freed and added that the government's use of dictatorship era law imposed on them hash sentences that violated their due process and pledged to go on with their action.

The activists' convictions were as result of anonymous witnesses paid to testify against them. This is their second hunger strike, in 2010; they joined other Mapuches in a 82 day hunger strike until their demands were met, soon after, the government reneged on the agreement. A sister to one activists stated that the strike would continue. She said this while marching with dozens of other Mapuche activists to the presidential palace from the courts after the Friday Court rulings.

Annotation: The Seattle Times, is based in the state of Washington in the United States of America; it was started in 1891 and circulates as the largest paper in the region. The Blethen family that is also involved in the operations owns it. The paper is recognized internationally for investigative journalism and has received the much-coveted Pulitzer award eight times. However, the paper has mainly focused on the plight of the four activists rather than the plight of the Mapuche people as a whole.

Despite this fact, few newspapers in the United States have highlighted the Mapuche issue, giving The Seattle Times an edge in this regard. The more the international press focuses on this issue, the more the international community is bound to indulge in the Mapuche crisis. Carruthers, D., & Rodriguez, P. (2009). Mapuche Protest, Environmental Conflict, and Social Movement Linkage in Chile. Third World Quarterly. Abstract: This paper provides an account of the promise and hindrances of social action as a political tool for the Mapuche in Chile.

Although protests are no longer effective in this democratic era, environmental issues have raised great concerns in the southern regions of Chile. Conflicts have emerged between the indigenous people and the State due to the ambitious development projects in the region. The Mapuche leaders have in turn forged unity of purpose with environmental groups, human rights activists to revamp efforts against injustice over their ancestral land resources. This unity in politics is an important test for the Chilean civil society and Latin American democratic mergers.

Annotation: Third World Quarterly focuses on international.