Arauco-Malleco Coordinator
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| “ | The only possible way for national liberation is direct confrontation against capitalism. | „ |
| ~ CAM in a statement |
The Arauco-Malleco Coordinator, also known by its Spanish acronym CAM (Coordinadora Arauco-Malleco), is a radical indigenist organization active in southern Chile, with precense in the regions of La Araucanía, Biobío, Los Ríos and Los Lagos. The objectives of the "Wallmapu" independence, which is a way of calling the territories that historically belonged to the Mapuche people.
Although, in theory, the organization would fight for a noble cause, because the Mapuches have historically been discriminated against by the Chilean government, the CAM is known for using violent and illegal methods to achieve its objectives. The organization has armed wings called "Territorial Resistance Bodies", or ORT (Órganos de Resistencia Territorial) for its acronym in Spanish, which are known for perpetrating arson and assaults.
The CAM was founded in 1998 after different encounters between members of different Mapuche communities when incidents of violence were just beginning in the south of Chile. Their attacks are mainly directed against forestry companies and they are known to burn trucks. The CAM is an ally of the Mapuche armed group Weichán Auka Mapu, and it is speculated that it has connections with the FARC and the government of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela.
Among its most well-known attacks, the multiple arson attacks against Catholic churches in 2015, which caused multiple material damage, stand out. The CAM also tend to carry out terrorist attacks annually on the same dates that Mapuches were murdered in previous years. The organization has also been involved in arms trafficking, and some of its members have been arrested for drug trafficking. The CAM has also expressed open support for Celestino Córdova, a Mapuche sentenced to 18 years in prison for the murder of Werner Luchsinger and Vivianne Mackay in 2013.
On July 15, 2021, the CAM released a statement declaring war on the foresters and rejecting any attempt at peace, which could exacerbate violence in the south of the country.