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In recent weeks, social organizations and Mapuche people have taken to the streets in solidarity with Celestino Cordova.
On Thursday, the Mapuche's spiritual advisor (machi) Celestino Cordova, who has been on a hunger strike for 103 days, announced that he will stop drinking water in rejection of the violation of his rights.
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Cristina Romo, his spokeswoman, released the decision shortly after the Supreme Court rejected Cordova's request to serve part of his sentence at home.
"The Sebastian Piñera administration will have 24 hours to make a final decision. If the requests of Cordova and the other political prisoners are not honored, he will stop drinking water," Romo said.
The spiritual leader has been hospitalized at the Nueva Imperia Intercultural Center, in the Chilean Araucania, due to his delicate state of health.
Marcha mapuche con comunidades desde distintos territorios en Curacautín después del Trawün en el que decidieron las acciones a futuro al cumplirse casi 100 de huelga de hambre del Machi Celestino Córdova @teleSURtv pic.twitter.com/XWNXnm9hz8
— Paola Dragnic (@PaoladrateleSUR) August 9, 2020
Machi Celestino began a hunger strike to demand that the Mapuche political prisoners' rights and the Indigenous rights be respected.
On the eve of the 100-day anniversary of his hunger strike, Cordova sent a message to "all the people who fight for their spiritual beliefs."
In recent weeks, social organizations and Mapuche people have taken to the streets in solidarity with Cordova. There are also about 20 Mapuche prisoners on hunger strike in the Araucania Region.
#Chile | As a result of the evictions, around 40 members of the Mapuche people were arrested, including several minors. pic.twitter.com/6sl7IMRq5M
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) August 4, 2020
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