Chile’s Peaceable Kingdom Image Challenged

On the tiny, legendary Pacific speck of land known as Easter Island, located 2,000 miles from the Chilean coastline, the ongoing non-violent protests being staged by the Hito family at the Hotel Hanga Roa came to a climax on Sunday February 6, 2011. Fifty armed members of the Chilean national police force (los Carabineros) mounted an illegal raid on the hotel and forcefully evicted the family that has occupied the grounds since August 2010. This action was in direct violation of a judicial order against their dislodgement.

Easter Island’s indigenous people, the Rapa Nui, boast a rich culture and mythology, which continues to occupy a central place among the island’s some 36 clans. The greatest modern-day remnants of the island’s history are the enormous, monolithic Moai statues that litter the coastline, which have today become the island’s top drawcard for tourists. While it is estimated that there were once approximately 10,000 people living on Easter Island, today the island’s population rests at around 3,500 (although this figure is somewhat unclear given the constant migration of Chileans to the island primarily to work in the tourism industry). Since its annexation to Chile in 1888, the Rapa Nui have been forced to re-evaluate their identity, particularly since 1966 when Santiago conferred Chilean citizenship on the group. In recent years, a growing chorus of supporters—both national and international—have argued that Rapa Nui must begin the path of self-determination.

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This analysis was prepared by COHA Research Associates Joss Douglas and Samantha Nadler