Argentina and Chile: imperialist processes of expansion on indigenous territories

The notion of State established by Max Weber is a good basis for analyzing the historical-legal situation of indigenous peoples and territories in Argentina, Chile and other Latin American countries.
According to Weber, the state is "a political association that claims for itself - with success - a delimited territory over which it exercises the monopoly of legitimate physical violence" (Weber, 2003).
And the reason for these forms of expression lies in being able to adopt a use of language that avoids innocently reproducing the historical triumph that the Nation States have achieved in the way of naming the territory claimed for themselves as “National Territory”, or “Argentine Territory” , "Chilean Territory", etc.
To designate these territories as "claimed by", implies building appropriations and constantly placing the relations of force established in all forms of use and appropriation of a territory at the center of the discussions. And if throughout the work it has been necessary for me to express myself by reproducing in my language the historical triumph of territorial appropriation by the Argentine and Chilean States, understand that it is due to literary resources and not to conceptual forgetfulness. Ergo, replace “Argentine / Chilean territory” with “territory claimed for itself – successfully- by the Argentine / Chilean State
To this we must add the name of the process of expansion and seizure of indigenous territories by the Argentine and Chilean states.
It can simply be called "expansion," or "imperialism" (attitude or form of political action based on dominating other lands and communities using military or economic power).
Used this last expression in that sense, it can be said that the expansionist policies of the states of Argentina and Chile were "imperialist". As in turn, the Argentine and Chilean states have been subjected to external “imperialisms” of a more global nature (eg British and American imperialism). These imperialist policies can be re-qualified as “sub-imperialisms”.
The original territories
In the territory claimed by the Argentine State, different ethnic groups abused before the formation of the National State. Some of them are: Ava Guaraní, Calchaquí, Chané, Chorote, Chulupí, Diaguita, Kollas, Huarpe, Mby´a Guaraní, Mapuche, Mocoví, Omaguaca, Pilagá, Querandí, Quechua, Rankulche, Sanavirón, Selk-Nam, Tapiete, Aonikenk (Tehuelche), Toba, Tupí Guaraní, Tonocoté, Vilela, Wichi and Yámana.

The Complementary Survey of Indigenous Peoples conducted in 2004-2005 in Argentina produced a total of 457,363 people (just over 1% of the total population of the country) who recognize themselves as belonging to some indigenous people (INDEC, Indigenous social movements in Argentina and Chile in the actuality)
Within these numbers, probably due to migratory processes and population movements and processes of identity resignifications, there are self-identifications that did not strictly inhabit the current “Argentine territory” or did not keep such denominations before colonization, among them it can be noted: Atacama, Aymara, Charrúa, Comechingón, Guaycurú, Lule, Maimará, Ona and Pampa.
That half million indigenous inhabitants of Argentina contrasts with the estimates of the population prior to the conquest that could be estimated at about 3 to 5 million inhabitants. The demographic decrease that is added to the situation of exclusion, discrimination and poverty in which the native Argentine communities find themselves is evident.
The case of Chile
In the territory claimed by the Chilean State, on the other hand, identities prior to the formation of the State can be highlighted, such as Alacalufe, Aonikenk, Aymara, Atacameño, Changos, Chonos, Cuncos, Diaguita, Kawéskar, Kolla, Mapuche, Picunches, Quechua, Rapa-Nui, Selk-Nam and Yámana or Yagán.
Through the Indigenous Law 19.253, in 1993, the Chilean State recognizes the "multiethnicity" existing in the territory; This includes only eight ethnicities, namely: Alacalufe, Atacameña, Aymara, Kolla, Mapuche, Rapa Nui, Quechuay Yámana or Yagán.
According to the 2002 census, almost 700,000 people (4.6% of the total population of the country) are recognized as belonging to one of the eight ethnic groups for which the census asks. Of these, 82% assumed the Mapuche identity. Other sources, however, speak of an indigenous population that is around one and a half million people, which represents 10% of the country's total population.
Where the results of the census and the data that other sources may provide, coincide, is that between 70% and 80% of the indigenous population lives in the immediate vicinity of urban centers and in conditions of poverty. Beyond the quantifications and their questionable degrees of precision, what matters to us is that there are, in both territories, groups of people who keep some of the characteristics alive.