Chile’s Bachelet Urges Return Of Looted Goods

Three activists now held in wake of September 2009 arson attack

A court in the southern city of Temuco (Region IX) on Friday agreed to keep a Mapuche youth charged under anti-terrorism laws in preventative custody after his arrest on Thursday.

Mapuche groups are involved in an on-going land struggle against local businesses and authorities in Chile's Araucania region (region IX). Photo courtesy of malkiano. Flickr.com

Job Morales was arrested for an arson attack that occurred on September 11 last year. Over 360 hectares of land as well as property and machinery belonging to local Elsa Fernandez was torched during the attack. Police allege Morales was trying to flee the country when detained.

Road trip fueled by vegetable oil and an environmental conscience

To spread their environmental message, Chilean Rodolfo Rada and three companions are taking an unconventional route.  Leading by example, they are driving across the Americas in a 1987 Volkswagon, lovingly named “Laura,” which is equipped with two tanks – one for vegetable oil and the other for diesel fuel.

Rada and friends spread their message through Central America.
Photo courtesy of RIOS LIBRES

Their trip began in Canada and continues through North, Central and South America until reaching Antarctica. Their aim is to teach people about recycling, pollution control, and other environmentally sustainable practices.

An estimated 1.8 million elementary and high school students began their school year on Monday, including 1.1 million students in the Metropolitan Region and 283,000 students in Region V (Valparaiso), 120,000 in Region VI (Rancagua) and 50,000 in Region X (Puerto Montt).

Schools in the earthquake devastated Regions VII and VIII are opening on a case-by-case basis, depending on the structural soundness of each school. Authorities estimate that about 40 percent of students from these two regions will attend school this week.