Chile’s president asks his entire cabinet to resign over protests
● Minimum wage and pensions to be increased after 1.2m take to streets
President Sebastian Piñera has dismissed his whole cabinet in order to form a new government and introduce social reforms demanded by protesters.
“I have put all my ministers on notice in order to restructure my cabinet to confront these new demands,” he said.
President Pinera announced the impending cabinet shakeup on Saturday following protests a day earlier which drew more than a million people onto the streets of the capital, Santiago.
Mr Pinera said he had heard the message, and said “we have all changed” because of the protests, which were triggered by a small increase in the price of local train tickets but quickly exploded into anger over economic inequality.
The president has already reacted by taking measures including raising the minimum wage and pensions, as well as scrapping the fare increase.
Mr Pinera, a conservative, said: “The march we all saw yesterday was a massive and peaceful march ... We have all heard the message. We have all changed.”
He promised “a new cabinet to confront these new demands and take charge of the new times”.
Mr Pinera also said he might lift the state of emergency that has covered much of the country for the past nine days – a decree which failed to bring peace after rioting broke out in response to a 3 pence increase in metro fares.
The protests rapidly expanded to cover a far wider sense of frustration among many Chileans who felt they had been struggling to make do for years as the well-off grew increasingly richer.
Friday’s demonstration in central Santiago was the largest in at least 35 years, with an estimated 1.2 million people taking part.
“All of them (Cabinet minischile’s ters) should go because they have been laughing at the people,” said Sonia Novoa, a 78-year-old pensioner.
Protesters have been calling for better pay, pensions, schools, housing and medical care, among many other demands. While most of the protests have been peaceful, some – especially at the start of the row – have devolved into riots and looting, and the government says at least 20 people have died.
Mr Pinera has responded by raising pensions and the minimum wage, as well as by revoking the metro fare increase. He said he is also considering cutting water fees and highway tolls.
Some of those who protested on Friday said they would return to Italy Plaza in the city centre to clean up the garbage and debris left behind.
“But I am going to take advantage of that and stay to protest again,” said student Andres Villarroel as he headed in the city centre.
Politicians from both the ruling party and opposition had been asking for the ministerial change to re-establish the government’s credibility in the face of the unrest. Among the most controversial ministers is Andres Chadwick, who as interior minister is in charge of police who have violently broken up protests.
Starting yesterday, Chile’s capital and other cities saw their curfews lifted.
The independent National Human Rights Institute said that since the state of emergency went into effect, 3,162 people have been detained and 997 injured.
A mission from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is expected to investigate allegations of rights violations.
The president of the Production and Commerce Confederation, Alfonso Swett, participated in a meeting with social and community leaders called by the government to find a way out of the crisis.
“We businesspeople have an obligation to addresses the weariness, pain, and deficiencies of citizens, and with great humility, we will be part of this solution,” he said.