Report on Case Maldonado

Case 10-2015: Argentina

REPORT ON CASE MALDONADO

On September 7th, 2017 the Buddhist Tribunal on Human Rights reports on the possible enforced disappearance of Santiago Maldonado, member of the direct action group called Ancestral Mapuche Resistance (Resistencia Ancestral Mapuche or RAM). After analyzing the allegations on the part of witnesses and relatives of the disappeared person, and after the analysis of the behavior of the Argentine State, the Buddhist Tribunal concludes that the human rights to life and integrity of Santiago Maldonado have been violated, as since August 1st, 2017 the only information regarding his fate or whereabouts are testimonies of witnesses who saw the abduction, as well as information coming from classified reports talking about Maldonado’s death at the hands of Argentine National Gendarmerie forces, which would have acted with violence after the orders from both representatives of the Executive Branch and Judge Otranto.

The Buddhist Tribunal on Human Rights only takes into consideration the reports of witnesses who saw the alleged forced disappearance of Santiago Maldonado, being beaten and abducted by the Argentine Gendarmerie. It is also taken into account the fact that Pablo Nocetti, head of the Cabinet of the Argentine Ministry of Security, had announced that all members of the Mapuche group were going to be suppressed and detained.

The Buddhist Tribunal on Human Rights affirms that the Argentine Government for several weeks was denying the forced disappearance of Santiago Maldonado in spite of testimonial evidence, providing support to the security forces of the Argentine Gendarmerie that were responsible for the repression and refusing to investigate them. This act is consistent with the denialism attitude of the Argentine Government of President Macri, while several of its officials have made statements denying the plan of genocide and crimes against humanity during the last military dictatorship.

The Buddhist Tribunal on Human Rights provides ethical support to the courageous actions of Prosecutor Delgado, who has decided to investigate the Argentine Government for the crime of Cover up the forced disappearance of Santiago Maldonado.

The Buddhist Tribunal on Human Rights perceives that the Argentine Government has violently repressed a march that called for the appearance of Santiago Maldonado, coming to the point to illegally detain of dozens of demonstrators, which constitutes a new human rights violation.

The Buddhist Tribunal on Human Rights states that the systematic and widespread pattern of human rights violations by the Argentine Government, especially violations in the justice system and in relation to tribal and aboriginal peoples, shows that the situation of the country has not changed at all, so that the illegal behavior of former President Cristina Kirchner is similar to the behavior of the current Argentine President Mauricio Macri, which is due to the fact that both are different expressions of populist governments.

The Buddhist Tribunal on Human Rights asks the Argentine Nation to adopt the necessary measures so that its governors, whether they are presidents, judges or legislators, not only reveal the Truth about what happened to the life of Santiago Maldonado, but that they also assume the commitment to respect the human rights of every citizen of the country.

The Buddhist Tribunal on Human Rights condemns any act of violence damaging the physical integrity of any person, simultaneously recognizing that the individual and collective human rights guaranteed by instruments of International Law of the Mapuche Community and the rest of the Aboriginal Peoples are not being respected, thus suffering genocides and crimes against humanity that have remained unpunished for hundreds of years.

The Buddhist Tribunal on Human Rights states that the Mapuche People is being persecuted violently in Chile, so it is ordered to start an investigation to the Chilean government for possible violations of the human rights of tribal communities.

The Buddhist Tribunal on Human Rights is an autonomous body that responds both to the legal system of the Buddhist Nation and also has the mandate to respect the fundamental freedoms and the natural rights of all sentient beings of the planet, acting as an organ of ethical supervision in the world.

Always with a spirit of Reconciliation (Maitri),

H.E. Master Maitreya Samyaksambuddha

President and Spiritual Judge of the Buddhist Tribunal on Human Rights