The Mapuche terrorist leader Ernesto Cruz Cárdenas was sentenced to three years in prison.

The terrorist leader of the Mapuche community lof Pailako, Ernesto Cruz Cárdenas, together with his partner, Belén Salinas, received sentences of 3 years and 1 year and 6 months of suspended prison, respectively, for the illegal occupation of public land in Los Alerces National Park.

The Federal Court found them guilty of having entered violently onto state land and causing damage to public infrastructure. The defense announced that it will appeal the ruling and will request the release of Cruz Cárdenas, who remains under arrest after turning himself in to the authorities following a period in hiding. Salinas, meanwhile, will remain free.

The case began with a complaint filed by the National Parks Administration, which provided evidence to demonstrate the violent entry of terrorists from the Mapuche community onto public land.

The case dates back to 2020, when members of the group occupied the El Maitenal park ranger station and posted on social media that it was a supposed "territorial claim."

Since then, damage to state facilities has been recorded, including damage to a bridge. The trial was conducted by the Federal Oral Court of Comodoro Rivadavia, presided over by Judge Enrique Baronetto.

The Federal Prosecutor's Office, represented by Mariano Sánchez, focused the accusation on four incidents attributed to Cruz Cárdenas, two of which were committed together with Salinas.

Cruz Cárdenas's crimes

The first incident corresponds to the eviction of the El Maitenal station, which took place on January 22, 2020. According to the plaintiff, in order to prevent the park rangers from entering, members of lof Pailako cut down trees and blocked the roads, in addition to throwing stones at official vehicles approaching the improvised checkpoint.

The second incident, attributed solely to Cárdenas along with other unidentified individuals, corresponds to the attempted assault on a jurisdiction official and damage to an official vehicle. According to the Public Prosecutor's accusation, the episode occurred on September 9 of that same year. The description indicated that the strikers acted with their faces covered, threw stones and various blunt objects, and prevented state employees from working in the area.

The third incident, involving both Cruz Cárdenas and María Belén Salinas, took place in June 2021 and consisted of the burning of a wooden bridge over the Cascada stream, which rendered it unusable for several months.

The last reported incident also took place that month, when a park ranger was attacked by masked individuals as she approached the bridge to check its condition. According to the accusation, the assailants attempted to injure her, which led to her joining the case as a plaintiff.