After Chile riots, thousands rally to protest at Pinera government
SANTIAGO, (Reuters) - Thousands of Chileans poured into Santiago’s central squares yesterday to protest high living costs after a weekend of looting, arson and clashes with security forces killed 11 people and prompted President Sebastian Pinera to declare the country “at war” with vandals.
Buses and metro networks were partially restored for people to return to work but many opted instead to join the biggest demonstrations in years in what is normally one of Latin America’s most stable countries.
The crisis was sparked by protests over a hike in public transport fares but reflects simmering anger over intense economic inequality in Chile, as well as costly health, education and pension systems seen by many as inadequate.
Banging drums and pans, blowing whistles and many waving signs calling for Pinera´s ouster, the largely youthful and peaceful crowd filled Santiago’s Plaza Italia and overflowed into surrounding streets, watched from the sidelines by soldiers and police and hovered over by helicopters.
“Pinera, listen! Go to hell!” the crowds chanted.
Jose Jimenez, 33, a filmmaker who had joined the protest, told Reuters it was hard to predict what would come next.
“Something has broken,” he said. “The government has shown itself to be completely inept and until there’s a way to respond to or contain this situation I think it’s only going to keep growing.”
Camila Tapia, a 23-year-old student from the poor La Pintana neighborhood of Santiago said she was there to represent her elderly parents, former manual laborers.
“I am here because of my parents and because of my son, because we can’t take it anymore, we are tired of injustice,” she said. “And it is everything: health, education, housing...”
A fresh curfew was announced by Javier Iturriaga, the general in charge of Santiago’s security, to run from 8 p.m. on Monday until 6 a.m. on Tuesday in the city.