Forrahue massacre facts for kids
The Forrahue massacre (also called Matanza de Forrahue in Spanish) was a sad event that happened in 1912 in Forrahue, a place in southern Chile. During this event, 15 Mapuche-Huilliche farmers were killed by the Chilean police.
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What Happened in Forrahue?
The killings took place on October 21, 1912. Police officers came to the area to remove Mapuche-Huilliche farmers from their land. A man named Atanasio Burgos Villalobos claimed he owned this land. The farmers had lost a court case about the land. They had armed themselves with sticks, boiling water, and a few rifles. They wanted to try and stop the police from making them leave.
The police had tried to remove the farmers before, on October 14, but they were not successful. When they returned on October 21, the tragic event happened.
A Local Story
Local family stories say that a traditional Mapuche house, called a ruka, was burned with people inside during the massacre. However, this detail is not found in the newspaper reports from that time.
News Reaches the Public
People outside Forrahue learned about the event when the bodies of those who died arrived in carts in the nearby city of Osorno. News of the killings made many people angry, even in Santiago, which is the capital city of Chile. The National Congress of Chile, which is like the country's parliament, asked for an official report on the massacre. A police officer named Julio Farías later wrote this report.
After the Massacre
Sadly, violence continued in the area even after the massacre. On March 5, 1914, Onofre Burgos, who was Atanasio Burgos's brother, was killed.
Another Land Dispute
In this incident, Onofre Burgos and his helper, Estanislao González, arrived on horseback. They wanted to make Manuel Nilian leave his property. But when they got to the house, only women were there. Onofre threatened the women and shot the house's dog.
Manuel Nilian was hiding behind a wall. He shot Onofre through a small opening. Onofre was badly hurt and dying, so González had to leave with him. Manuel Nilian then ran away to Osorno, avoiding the main roads. He later gave himself up to the police there. Manuel spent several months in jail before he was set free.
See also
In Spanish: Matanza de Forrahue para niños
