Chilean Police confronting protestors in the capital Santiago de Chile

Chile finds itself in its most violent spell since the end of the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet almost thirty years ago. The violence began late last week in protest to the 30 pesos increase (3p at the time of writing) in Metro prices. However, since then the situation in Chile has spiralled out of control, with many drawing alarming parallels with the violent dictatorship of the now deceased Pinochet.

There have been widespread claims of police and military beatings, shootings, sexual assaults, drug taking, ramming with police vehicles, and now even claims that the closed Metro tunnels and chambers are being used as torture chambers; an investigation into this last claim is ongoing.

It’s a trivial amount to protest, isn’t it?

In one of Latin America’s strongest economies, the amount could be seen to be trivial. The reality is that the increase is the tip of the iceberg. Current president Sebastian Piñera announced the fare increase well in advance of the recent protests. Initially it was opposed in a peaceful manner.

When the government shrugged it off and told commuters to travel earlier if they wish to avoid the higher fare, people began to get frustrated. Students began protests jumping the barriers, and that’s when Piñera made a fatal error.

Piñera deployed the Police force who violently responded to protestors and were recorded by many hitting old people with batons and setting off tear gas bombs on trains full of civilians. Suddenly people began to take notice and years of problems began to surface.

“It’s not left vs right, not La U vs Colo Colo” – (Chile’s largest football rivalry)

For those who lived through the dictatorship, these are concerning times. Marcela Suazo Toro, resident of Talca (currently under martial law and a strict curfew) lived through the dictatorship. “Our fear is to go back to the Pinochet times”.

“For the people who suffered at the hands of a dictator, who fought democracy and won the right to vote, this generation fears the military in the streets, making people disappear, killing people”.

Officially there has been yet to be officially confirmed any deaths at the hand of the military, but social media is rife with images of a Police force coming off the chain, with unconfirmed videos of officers snorting cocaine, mowing down peaceful protestors with cars, beating and shooting at them.

On the other end of the spectrum you have the students. Fabián Alexis Guttiérez Marin, student and resident of Curicó, who never experienced dictatorship understands the history, but is defiant.

“My generation is not afraid. People are angrier than ever and more aware that change is needed”

“We are the inheritors of the dictatorship. We didn’t experience it in our own flesh”

“Under Pinera it’s a little bit like reliving the dictatorship, because they’re doing the same. There are troops on the streets, missing persons, troops taking people away in cars to god knows where, taking them to police stations where they are beating, torturing and threatening to rape them”

Fellow student and resident of Teno, Sergio Garrido adds “the president declared that Chile is at war. If that’s so, it’s an unequal war in which the people fight with pans and the government fight back with armed police”.

Despite the fears from the older generation around the protests and particularly the violence, this has not deterred a generation inheriting the inevitable flaws that come with the transition from dictatorship, to democracy.

“We are fighting for change” affirmed Guttiérez Marin.

On the more democratic side of things, similarities can be drawn with the 15M movement in Spain in 2011, where the people rose up against politicians due to their mistrust, eventually leading to the formation of a new political party. It will be interesting to see how the situation in Chile continues to develop.

The current situation

Suazo Toro hopes “the Chilean government listens to the demands of the people and makes the changes required to regain our confidence”, but equally fears that the government might start cutting internet signals to leave people in the dark, as social media has been the main driver in sharing the shocking events that are currently happening across the nation.

Yesterday President Piñera addressed the nation, setting out reforms such as 20% increases in pensions, lower wages for politicians and a higher tax rate for the upper echelons of Chilean society. Whilst this may appease some people, many are still deeply distrusting of the current system, as protests continue up and down the country. At present, a solution doesn’t appear to be much closer.

The Scribbler, 23rd October, 2019

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