Published 12:47 IST, October 22nd 2019
Chile: 11 dead after violent protest, overnight curfew for third day
Chile has ordered an overnight curfew for the third day in a row on October 21 as widespread protests and looting continued leaving 11 people dead over weekend.
Chile has ordered an overnight curfew for the third day in a row on October 21 as widespread protests and looting left 11 people dead over the weekend. Javier Iturriaga, the army general declared the curfew would last from 8 pm to 6 am. The protest against a hike in metro fares turned into anger at President Sebastian Pinera and the military. Despite thousands of people demonstrating peacefully in the capital, Iturriaga ordered that the curfew was necessary. Scenes of violence and looting were reported in other cities such as Valparaiso, Concepcion, and Maipu.
Factory set on fire
At least five people died when a factory in Santiago suburb was set on fire by the protestors. Two women also died after a supermarket was set ablaze by the looters. Scores of protestors banging pots and pans in the traditional Latin America manner gathered peacefully in the main Plaza Italia square in the capital on Monday. The demonstrators chanted "Pinera Out!" and "Get Military Out!" It was the worst outbreak of social unrest in decades which broke out on Friday and almost 1500 people have been detained. Pinera said that the nation is at war against a powerful, implacable enemy, who violates rules and regulations on Sunday after an emergency meeting with Iturriaga who has been placed in charge of order and security in the capital.
A state of emergency
Santiago and many other regions of Chile were under a state of emergency. Pinera said that troops were deployed on streets for the first time since Augusto Pinochet's military dictatorship between 1973-1990. The clashes took place between 9,500 police and protestors. The police and military fired tear gas and water cannons against protestors who set fire to buses, vandalized metro stations, and shops. Protestors are mostly angry at wider social inequality and an increase in metro fares. Long queues were formed at shops, service stations, and bus stops while the Santiago metro service that was suspended on Friday was partially resumed on Monday as some people returned to work.
President of the state Metro S.A. company, Louis de Grange said Canal 13 of Santiago's metro service has faced massive destruction. It is known to be South America's largest and most modern metro service which is used by over three million per day. He said the protests have caused more than $300 million in damage.
The proposed hike in fares would have raised the price of peak hour travel from 800 to 830 pesos ($1.11 to $1.15). The government said the rise, which followed a 20-peso increase in January, was driven by rising oil prices and a weakening peso.
Updated 13:28 IST, October 22nd 2019