Alexis Caiguan

Caiguan was born on 18 August 1975 in Osorno, Chile in the Huilliche Pangui Ku community.^[2] As a traditional educator, Caiguan has worked for five years the Entre Lagos School in Puyehue, Osorno Province.^[3] Caiguan has long been active in indigenous activism, and previously served as the President of the Panguiku Urban Indigenous Community.^[4]

In the 2021 Chilean Constitutional Convention election, Caiguan was elected to one of the seven reserved seats for the Mapuche people.^[5] Carmen Jaramillo, a fellow Mapuche activist and academic, was initially slated to serve on the body, but was replaced by Caiguan in order to comply with gender parity rules.^[6]

As a member of the Constitutional Convention, Caiguan has used his platform to advocate for the welfare of Mapuche activists targeted in the Mapuche conflict. Caiguan signed onto a letter condemning the killing of Pablo Marchant, a 29-year old^[7] Mapuche man shot in the head and killed by the Carabineros de Chile.^[8] During the election for President of the Constitutional Convention, Caiguan supported the successful candidacy of fellow Mapuche activist Elisa Loncón.^[9]