Members of the Lof Leufuche community attacked runners and then filed a complaint with the Justice, claiming that the route took place on lands they consider "communal"
The respect for coexistence norms faced a new and violent challenge last Sunday at noon near General Roca. As part of the 17th edition of the prestigious trail race Doble Apolo, a group of riders linked to the Lof Leufuche community staged a ambush against the athletes, demonstrating an absolute disregard for the integrity of others.
The aggression was not random: the attackers blocked the path and removed the marking tapes of the circuit before launching the offensive with whips and boleadoras. The details of the aggression are chilling and reveal the danger posed by these radicalized groups. One of the attacked runners recounted:
Mapuches attacking runners
“They hit me with boleadoras on the head and tore my shirt”. For his part, competitor Fernando Castro denounced the recurrence of these acts, stating that “it is a situation of violence that has been occurring for a long time”, a reality that the negligence of previous administrations allowed to escalate.
In a judicial maneuver that seeks to invert the roles of perpetrator and victim, the Lof Leufuche presented itself this Monday before the Public Prosecutor's Office to accuse the organizers and the Municipality of General Roca. The complaint, filed in Prosecutor's Office No. 1, alleges supposed crimes of “disturbance of possession, destruction of archaeological sites, and violation of the right to prior consultation”, deliberately ignoring the physical attack perpetrated against the runners.
According to the document, the activists hold the authorities responsible for “systematic violations of an indigenous community territory”, a legal figure they often use to block access to public lands.
However, the official response was emphatic in defense of public space and legality. The secretary of Production of the municipality, Florencia Ghirardelli, clarified that the event took place within a Municipal Protected Area (APM). The official was emphatic in stating that:
"It is a recreational area that can be freely accessed not only by athletes but also by families and neighbors for outdoor activities". She also confirmed that the organizer complied with all legal steps: submitted the route sketch, obtained authorization from environmental guards, and coordinated with provincial agencies.
The organization of the Doble Apolo also denied any irregularities, reaffirming that they had all the necessary permits, including approval from Vialidad Rionegrina for road closures on Route 6 and authorization from the owner of the adjacent field.
Mapuches attacking the runners
Despite collaborators having surveyed the circuit half an hour before the start to reinstall the vandalized signage, the violence from the community could not be avoided.
Finally, the counter-criticism of the arguments from the Lof Leufuche is unavoidable. This group of just seven families seeks to paralyze a competition that has been held for 18 years, claiming that the passage of athletes in front of their “rucas” frightens their cows, which, they say, “fall off the cliffs”.
They even claimed that their spokesperson attempted to impose conditions the day before the race, trying to exercise a veto right over lands that the municipality reaffirms as public. This type of ideological blockage is what the new model of the country seeks to eradicate to ensure that no minority interest is above the freedom of Argentines.
