The Mapuche indigenous people have tirelessly resisted Spanish domination during the 16th century, establishing the southern border of the Bío-Bío river; Even though their population was decimated, they resisted the colonization processes of the Spanish Empire and its independence that gave way to the Republic of Chile in 1810. Currently, the Mapuches continue to fight to expand their rights and aspire to have autonomy over their ancestral territory.