Fresh anti-government protests erupt in Chile
SANTIAGO: Growing tension once again erupts in Chile as thousands of protesters crowded again into central Santiago, and one group set fire to a building that houses a fast-food restaurant and stores. Firefighters were batling the blaze.
Fresh protests and atacks on businesses once again erupted in Chile on Monday despite President Sebastián Piñera’s replacement of eight key cabinet ministers with more centrist figures and his atempts to assure the country he has heard calls for greater equality and improved social services.
Other looters atacked a pharmacy, and there was an atempt to set a subway station on fire.
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of people atempted to get home from work on free buses sent to replace trains out of service due to the burning of dozens of stations over the last week in Latin America’s most modern public transportation system.
By Monday evening, piles of detritus burned on street corners and some residents and business owners tried to extinguish blazes with handheld fire extinguishers.
At least a couple dozen glass storefronts were smashed and graffiti cursing Piñera and calling for revolution was sprayed on virtually every building.
Piñera replaced the heads of the interior, treasury, economy, labour and four other ministries with generally younger officials seen as more centrist and accessible.
“Chile has changed and the government must change,” Chile’s president said.
However, his government announced no policies on Monday aimed at addressing 10 days of protests over deficient social services and the high cost of living in one of Latin America’s most prosperous and modern nations.
“A new cabinet isn’t enough, we need real changes in health care, education, pensions,” said Omar Soto, 34, who runs a cellphone shop.
Protestersalmostuniformlysaytheyarefrustrated with the so-called neoliberal model that has let Chile with region-topping prosperity along with a widely criticised private pension system, and twotiered health and education systems that blend the public and private, with beter results for the minority who can afford to pay.
Many Chileans talk of waiting a year for an appointment with a specialist, or families receiving calls to finally set up appointments for loved ones who died months earlier.
Hundreds of thousands are hobbled by educational loans that can follow them into their 40s and even 50s.