Support for Pro-indigenous Policies amid Conflict: The Case of the Mapuche

• In Event: Party Networks, Indigenous Politics, and Civil Society in Latin America

Abstract

In the last decade, the southern regions of Chile and Argentina have witnessed increased violence and state repression directed at the indigenous Mapuche people (Carlin et al. 2022; Fernández and Fuentes 2018). The Mapuche are the most populous indigenous group in these countries. Since colonial times, the Mapuche have suffered from high rates of poverty, land-rights infringements, and cultural suppression (Crow 2013; Haughney 2006). Many pursue nonviolent protests and peaceful tactics to demand public policies from the state. They seek ancestral land restitution, economic reparations, cultural recognition, and territorial autonomy. A minority participates in riots, land occupations, and violent strategies such as arson. While violence elicits media attention and raises awareness about indigenous struggles, it also alienates some parts of the broader population. The literature shows that public attitudes toward pro-indigenous policies, like land redistribution and government spending on this group, correlate with age, education, partisanship, intergroup contact, prejudice, and general positions on government spending (Fetzer 2014; Fetzer and Soper 2011; Marks and McDonell 1996; Van den Eynde and Arunachalam 2008; White et al. 2015). However, existing studies focus on the Global North and do not examine how mobilization strategies employed by indigenous groups affect policy support. Do violent protests and tactics increase or decrease support for pro-indigenous policies in public opinion? What is the mechanism at play? In this paper, I argue that violent tactics decrease support for pro-indigenous policies by increasing threat perceptions and diminishing sympathy with the indigenous group. I contribute to the broader literature on how violence shapes support for public policies benefiting minority groups in different contexts (Enos et al. 2019; Orazani and Leidner 2019; Wasow 2020). I test my hypotheses using existing panel survey data and original survey experiments conducted in Argentina and Chile.

Author

• Lautaro Cella, University of Chicago