A summary of what’s happening in Chile
A day has already passed so I thought it would be a good idea to gather everything that has happened so far here regarding the protests, riots and police brutality:
- On october 6th, the government announced that the public transportation fare in Santiago, specifically the metro, would be raised to 830 chilean pesos (around $1.17 dollars). This has not been the first raise this year.
- The news angered the citizens, since both salaries and the pension system are miserable compared to the prices in transportation, education, health and electricity. Water is private, the health system is collapsing due to lack of supplies and recently we found out that our president has avoided almost 30 years in taxes, without consecuences.
- For context: minimum wage in Chile right now is 301.000 pesos, or $422 dollars. In a month, a person spends 51.460 pesos ($73 dollars) just in transportation, considering two trips daily. This is a sixth of their income. And the pensions aren’t much better: 134.000 pesos ($189 dollars) monthly. And there are people who get much less than that.
- Students decided to protest and take control of Santiago’s metro stations, inviting the rest of the citizens to evade the fare to show the general discontent of the population.
- The government replied by sending the police to fight against the protesters, hitting them, throwing tear gas bombs and even shooting them. Chilean press only shows the riots, avoiding the real facts.
- The protests got to the streets: riots and cacerolazos, and even multiple fires affect Santiago. All of this while President Sebastián Piñera is seen in a restaurant located in a wealthy área, having dinner with his family.
- At about midnight, Piñera annunces that Santiago is under Emergency State. The military goes out to the street, and the violence is harder than ever. This is the biggest event of repression Chile has faced since the Dictatorship that our country was in between 1973 and 1990.
This is still going on. Cities along the entire country are getting organized to protest, because this isn’t just about the raise of a metro fare. This is the explosion of a social unrest that’s been growing for decades, and instead of dialoguing and trying to listen to the people, the government is endorsing abuse, forced disappearances and even the murder of hundred of people.
But this won’t stay like this. We are fighting back, and we will be heard.
[Some links in english: Reuters, The Guardian, Bloomberg, BBC News]
