By Marcus Edensky

See all posts on the 2015 roadblock conflict.

Police force has now cleared roads and archaeological sites and from Rapa Nui Parliament members. It is no longer necessary to pay the 60 USD entrance fee to move around freely at Easter Island. The money that tourists paid to the Rapa Nui Parliament for entering the archaeological sites since the 16th of August was kept by a local businessman and hotel owner, who earlier on had been giving monetary support to the movement. He and his daughter were detained in the airport when trying to leave Easter Island with the money with a total sum of approximately 50 million pesos. They are now detained for 180 days while being investigated for fraud. The possibility of returning the money to tourists that have been paid to the Rapa Nui Parliament is part of the investigation.

Leviante Araki, president of Rapa Nui Parliament, was yesterday also detained when at the Hua Reva (south coast) road block preventing CONAF park rangers from passing.

In protest against detention of the Rapa Nui Parliament members, as well as to continue the fight against Chilean sovereignty, people from the same group have taken control over the labor port Hanga Piko, preventing unload of any cargo coming from the sea. Unloading the cargo is now slower, since it is done in the central harbor instead.

Official word is that CONAF will be maintaining the national park only temporarily, at least until new proposals will be presented on the 25th of October about who will take over the archaeological sites.

With police interveining, it now seems the 2015 roadblock conflict is going towards an end. What are your thoughts? Have the latest events been for the better, or for the worse? Please comment below!

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