Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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158. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if is attention has been drawn to the threats to the life of a person (details supplied) in Argentina and the ongoing repression, intimidation and delegitimisation of the Mapuche; and if he will raise the issue with his Argentine counterpart. [3439/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of the situation of the Mapuche community in Argentina, and the historic and continued challenges faced by indigenous populations in parts of Latin America. I condemn unreservedly, as I have done on previous occasions, any intimidation, violence, or discrimination perpetrated against indigenous peoples and those seeking to defend their rights, whether in Argentina or elsewhere. I thank the Deputy for bringing this particular case to my attention. I have asked officials at our Embassy in Buenos Aires to monitor the case and to keep me informed of developments. At the 28th Session of the Universal Periodic Review of the Human Rights Council in Geneva on 6 November 2017, Ireland commended Argentina on its record of adherence to international human rights norms and treaties, but expressed our concern that the implementation of legislative processes pertaining to human rights remained weak in some cases, and that this implementation gap disproportionately affected vulnerable members of Argentine society, including members of indigenous communities.

In that regard Ireland recommended that Argentina develop and implement, in close consultation with civil society, a national human rights plan with clear, specific and measurable goals.

In addition to representations at multilateral level, officials of my Department at home and abroad meet regularly with human rights activists and civil society leaders in Latin America, including those working on the rights of indigenous communities. My Department also makes a financial contribution to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to support its valuable work of protecting and vindicating human rights in the region.

I can assure the Deputy of this Department’s ongoing engagement with issues affecting indigenous communities in Latin America.