Protests, looting erupt in Chile despite new Cabinet
October 29, 2019
Protesters in Chile are angry over high inequality, low wages and a thin social safety net. According to a recent poll, some 80% of Chileans did not consider President Pinera's new proposals to be adequate.
Pinera has sought to quell the unrest in his country by acknowledging citizens' concerns and by replacing his entire Cabinet. Following 10 days of street demonstrations, which were sparked by a hike in transportation fees, the Chilean president's popularity has sunk to historic lows.
"Chile has changed and the government must change," Pinera said.
But just hours after the new Cabinet was brought in, thousands of protesters gathered in the capital, Santiago. One group of protesters set fire to a building that houses a fast food restaurant and stores.
Looters targeted a pharmacy, while another group tried to set a subway station on fire. It was a repeat of the vandalism that took place in last week's protests, when dozens of train stations were left shuttered due to fire damage.
"What we are seeing today is not people who want justice or a better Chile; we are seeing people who want destruction and chaos," said Karla Rubilar, minister for the General Secretariat of the Government.
"A small group creates the violence. It is some 7,000 people, who have nothing to do with the 1.2 million that marched on Friday," she added, in reference to last week's mobilizations.
A public opinion poll by Chilean firm Cadem, published on Sunday, found 80% of Chileans did not consider Pinera's proposals adequate. This was something that he himself acknowledged in his speech on Monday.
"We know these measures don't solve all the problems, but they're an important first step," Pinera said.
Smoke billows from fires set by protesters in Santiago on MondayImage: Getty Images/AFP/P. Ugarte
Cadem's poll showed Pinera's approval rating at a mere 14%, the lowest figure for a Chilean president since the return to democracy.
Although Chile has been an economic and democratic success story in Latin America, having been inducted into the OECD and holding the region's highest score on the UN Human Development Index, the country is also plagued with high inequality.
The top 1% of Chile's population earns 33% of the country's wealth. Many Chileans are angry over low wages and pensions, expensive health care and education.
jcg/dr (AFP, EFE, AP, Reuters)
Chile's deadly protests — in pictures
Anti-government protests, that have seen several deaths, are now entering a third week, with little sign of easing up. Civilians clashed with police, looted stores and endured an earthquake at the close of a huge rally.
Image: Reuters/J. Silva
Violent reaction
Protesters seek cover from riot police wielding a baton. The latest protest followed a short break in the wave of demonstrations in which several people have died, forcing the cancellation of two upcoming international summits.
Image: Reuters/J. Silva
Third week of protests
In this image, a man is dressed as the the movie character "The Joker" while brandishing a Mapuche indigenous flag. Many Chileans were on a long holiday weekend and the latest protest was relatively small compared to previous efforts.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/E. Felix
Women join forces for peaceful march
Dressed in black, marching silently and raising one fist, around a thousand women have demanded justice for those killed during the civil unrest in Chile. Their march started off a day of demonstrations on a long weekend in the Latin American country, expanding later as tens of thousands answered social media calls to match previous protests that attracted more than a million people.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Agencia Uno
A national protest
The sight of soldiers on the streets is unsettling for many citizens of a country still haunted by memories of military rule under dictator Augusto Pinochet. Armored personnel carriers drove slowly through the streets deploying heavily-armed troops as violence worsened in the capital, Santiago, and across the country. Here, one demonstrator waves a Chilean flag as the troops spread out.
Image: Reuters/I. Alvarado
Hundreds of arrests
Although Chile is one of South America's wealthiest economies, resentment has been rising over increased living costs and the shortcomings of public services. With Santiago engulfed in rioting over several days, security forces and protesters clashed repeatedly.
Image: AFP/M. Bernetti
Widening wealth gap
The protests began over a planned hike in transport fares last week, but have turned into a movement against Chile's economic model of creeping privatization, low wages and growing inequality.
Image: AFP/M. Bernetti
State of emergency
Metro stations, buses and businesses were set ablaze as the protests began to turn violent. Soldiers were deployed on the capital's streets for the first time since the military dictatorship ended in 1990, and a state of emergency was imposed. Curfews were also put in place in several other Chilean cities.
Image: Imago-Images/Aton Chile/S. Cisternas
Cloud of violence
Although President Sebastian Pinera canceled the planned hike in subway fares, the violence has only worsened, leading to nearly a dozen deaths. Tear gas has been used against the protesters, and the army confirmed it had shot people dead while chasing looters. Meanwhile, at least three people died when supermarkets were set on fire.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/E. Felix
Asking for the impossible?
This demonstrator is holding a sign that reads "Let's be realistic, let's ask for the impossible." After meeting with heads of the legislature and judicial system, President Pinera has pledged to seek "solutions" to "reduce excessive inequalities" in the country. Protesters, however, don't appear to placated.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/P. Vera
Military advance
A demonstrator gestures as Chilean soldiers advance carrying their weapons, during a protest against the country's state economic model in Santiago. According to the Gini index, the most widely used international measure of inequality - for which the higher the number, the greater the inequality - Chile ranks as the most unequal country among a group of 30 of the world's wealthiest nations.
