BUENOS AIRES – Members of Mapuche communities and people in the Argentine southern town of El Bolson, in Rio Negro, gathered on Friday at the entrance of the local government headquarters of that city to demand “the end of repression” and clarification of the case of Santiago Maldonado.

The group sought to file a petition with the mayor of El Bolson, Bruno Pogliano, whom they accused of meeting with the Gendarmerie and the National Government to request “a few hours before” that Santiago Maldonado disappeared, according to state news agency Telam.

“We denounce you for demonizing us and treating us as terrorists who fight against injustice,” Pogliano was told in the letter by the assembled protesters, who also organized an open radio at the entrance and a display of photographs depicting repression in the area.

This is the same locality where security officers reportedly fired tear gas at a group of people after they approached the headquarters of the local police force and threw stones and other objects.

The sources consulted by Telam indicated that there were no incidents and on Friday morning Matias Santana, a member of the Pu Lof community in Resistencia de Cushamen, said he was a witness in the case of Santiago Maldonado, whose body was identified Friday afternoon in Buenos Aires for his family.