A coalition of Mapuche-Williche communities from southern Chile has filed a formal complaint in Norway against Statkraft AS, Europe's largest renewable energy producer, alleging the company failed to respect indigenous rights and consent protocols in connection with two major hydroelectric projects on ancestral territories.
The complaint was submitted by Aylla Rewe del Ngen Mapu Kintuantü, an organization representing more than 150 Mapuche-Williche communities in the Pilmaiquén River watershed. The filing is supported by human rights organizations ProDESC and the Initiative for Transnational Justice.
At issue are two projects: the Rucatayo hydroelectric facility and the Los Lagos watershed development. The communities argue that Statkraft, which is entirely state-owned by Norway, violated its human rights obligations by proceeding without genuine free, prior, and informed consent—a cornerstone principle of indigenous rights established in international law.
The complaint also raises concerns about threats to women's safety, risks to environmental defenders, and the potential destruction of culturally significant sites through dam construction and flooding.
The Pilmaiquén River holds profound spiritual and cultural significance for the Mapuche-Williche people. For these communities, the river is not merely a natural resource but a living entity woven into ancestral memory, traditional healing practices and ceremonial life.
"This complaint is not simply a legal action; it is a call to protect life, memory, and our sacred territory," said Machi Millaray Huichalaf, a spiritual authority of the Mapuche people and representative of Aylla Rewe. "We demand that Norway listen to our voices and act before the damage becomes irreversible."
The complaint targets a contradiction in Norway's stated commitment to human rights. While Norway markets itself internationally as a leader in renewable energy and sustainable development, critics say its state-owned enterprise appears to be advancing projects in the Global South with minimal regard for indigenous consultation standards.
Knut Hurum, the attorney representing the Mapuche-Williche in Norway, previously represented the Sami people in the landmark Fosen case, which successfully challenged wind farm development on Sami reindeer herding lands.
Mapuche-Williche representatives plan to travel to Norway in the coming weeks to engage directly with government officials, indigenous organizations and civil society groups. The communities are simultaneously pursuing cases before the Inter-American Human Rights System and UN bodies.
The communities say they are not asking to halt renewable energy development entirely but demanding that such development respect indigenous sovereignty and consent.
