Conviction and sentence
Facundo Jones Huala received a sentence of five years and two months of effective prison time after reaching an agreement with the Prosecutor's Office in a case linked to the Resistencia Ancestral Mapuche (RAM). Federal judge Leandro Gómez Constenla, based in Bariloche, approved the resolution, which closed the file through the abbreviated trial mechanism. The Mapuche leader admitted that he was a member of the RAM and that he carried out leadership duties within the organization, which allowed a sentence to be issued without an oral trial.[S1]
The conviction falls under article 213 bis of the Penal Code, which provides penalties for those who organize or join groups intended to impose their ideas or confront others' ideas through force or intimidation. The penalty range for that offense is three to eight years in prison. The agreement specifically set a sentence of five years and two months of effective imprisonment. Since Jones Huala has been detained since 2025, the time he has already spent in pretrial detention will be counted toward serving the sentence. According to the calculation made during the process, the penalty would be completed in August 2030.[S1]
From broader charges to a narrower agreement
The case had begun with a broader accusation and more serious criminal figures that ultimately were not part of the resolution. The investigation included charges related to public intimidation, incitement to collective violence, illicit association, and apology for crime. An accusation based on article 210 bis of the Penal Code was also analyzed, a provision used for organizations intended to commit crimes against the constitutional order and which carries considerably higher penalties. However, that classification was not part of the final agreement reached between the Prosecutor's Office and the defense.[S1]
The investigation maintained that Jones Huala held a leadership position within the RAM for years. On that hypothesis, a federal file was developed that was declared a complex investigation and led to successive extensions of pretrial detention while evidentiary measures proceeded. One of the most relevant points in the negotiations prior to the agreement was linked to the legal classification of the facts. The Prosecutor's Office initially pushed for a more severe accusation, but the defense rejected that position and promoted a resolution focused exclusively on Jones Huala's participation in the RAM. Another element considered during the process was a previous conviction issued in Chile.[S1]
Detention and background
The Mapuche leader has been detained since June 6, 2025, when he was located in El Bolsón after participating in a public activity linked to the presentation of a book in Bariloche. Since then he has remained deprived of liberty at the disposal of the federal Justice system.[S1]
