SANTIAGO – Luis Mayol, the heavily criticized mayor of Araucanía, has resigned after an investigation against him was announced. Mayol is the first government official to resign in the aftermath of the Catrillanca case. The mayor had earlier spread false information about the criminal record of the 24-year-old Mapuche man.
Luis Mayol was, together with Minister of Internal Affairs Andrés Chadwick, among the most heavily criticized members of the Piñera administration in the aftermath of the death of Camilo Catrillanca.
The resignation of Mayol was accepted by Piñera, before addressing the press from Araucanía-capital Temuco. Mayol insisted he is still convinced he did not commit any fault doing his job. He rather pointed at political forces, who according to the resigned mayor “did not recognize the change the government was generating in this difficult sector. Instead of helping solve the government problems, they deepened them”.
Which political forces Mayol was exactly referring to, is unclear. The Christian Democrats had announced a constitutional investigation against the mayor, to remove him from office.
In the first days after the fatal shooting, Luis Mayol claimed the victim had a criminal record, stating he had been incarcerated for grand theft. It made media link Catrillanca to the robbery of the teachers´ cars that led to the fatal shooting, whilst he did not have any record. Minister of Justice Hernán Llaraín called the spreading of this misinformation “an error”.
Government launches three separate investigations: “No link to robbery”
Father of victim on resignation: “He left running like a rat”
Marcelo Catrillanca, father of Camilo Catrillanca, called the resigned mayor “a coward”.
“As there was an investigation against him coming up, he left running like a rat. He has been cowardly in his way of acting and very little transparent. First, he defended the action of the Carabineros and now he runs”, Catrillanca said.
He also called for the resignation of Andrés Chadwick as Minister of Internal Affairs and added that the resignation of Mayol doesn’t mean he doesn´t need to stand trial. “I will seek all forms so that Mayol comes to court to tell the truth”.
Chadwick to give explanations in Congress
Andrés Chadwick has been called to the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the Chilean Congress, to give explanations on the role of the Jungle Command in the shooting that led to the death of Camilo Catrillanca. Chadwick is seen responsible for the training and implementation of the elite force in the Araucanía region.
President Piñera has announced a visit to Araucanía this Friday, where he will speak with representatives of the Mapuche community.
Nationwide protests and clashes in aftermath of death Mapuche man
Editor-In-Chief Boris van der Spek is the founder of Chile Today.