Ramírez lives just a few blocks from Plaza Italia, where many public protests in Santiago have taken place, and tells Teen Vogue she was terrified: “I’ve heard screaming from the protesters, as they run away from the police, gunshots, tear gas bombs; I left Santiago on Friday to be with my family in the south, and I still jump whenever I hear loud noises.”

At least 20 people have died during the protests, many as a result of the fires, and 979 people were detained (592 during martial law). The National Institute of Human Rights asked the government to share the official records, and filed 70 complaints: 15 for sexual violence, five for homicides, 50 for torture, and others for cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.

As for material damage, Ciper, a nonprofit organization devoted to investigative journalism, confirmed that losses caused by acts of vandalism are estimated at $300 million dollars and that the subway operator, Metro de Santiago, does not have insurance contracted for this type of damage. The total destruction due to fires and looting of supermarkets, buildings, and other businesses is still being calculated.

“It’s Not 30 Pesos, It’s 30 Years”

More protests spread across Chile. The government extended the state of emergency and curfew to cover established Antofagasta, Calama, Copiapó, Rancagua, Región de Valparaíso, Región Metropolitana, Provincia de Concepción, Puerto Montt, and Osorno.

Chileans say the reasons they have been out in the streets have piled up: an inadequate pension system, low wages, price increases for basic services, a deficient health-care system, privatization of natural resources, and a lack of high-quality public education.

Néstor Cortés, a 34-year-old English teacher at private and public universities in Viña del Mar and Valparaíso, sees the inequities clearly. “The problem is that politicians started living in a bubble a long time ago. And they are not in contact with us. They have no idea what it means to be Chilean living in small towns, living in cities, and studying in public universities,” he tells Teen Vogue. Cortés says he feels sorry for the talented students that he sees at the public school where he works: “We don’t have many resources for teaching — the rooms, the technologies… there’s not enough space for us to work, there are no offices. The crisis is evident.”

Students who have had the opportunity to study abroad, like Sebastián Guiñez, say that Chile is a very expensive country where basic needs still aren’t met. Guiñez, 24, is studying mechanical engineering at the Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María in Santiago. He calls himself lucky because he earned the Bicentenario scholarship to study in his home country, which reduces the cost of his tuition by more than half, and another scholarship to study in Germany.

“Some things are even cheaper than here in Chile,” Guiñez recalled of his years in Dresden. “I find that crazy because the minimum wage there can be twice or even three times higher than here.” It made him realize that the health, pension, and education systems can and should work better in Chile.

Guiñez said the discontent among his countrymen and women is deep and doesn’t subscribe to any political party. “I have friends from the right-wing and friends from the left-wing and they all agree with the reality of the country," he says. “Here the left-wing has ruled and didn’t provide solutions.” He believes that Piñera’s right-wing government is responsible, but so are previous administrations.

The slogan “It's not 30 pesos, it’s 30 years” became a popular phrase on banners and even made it into the lyrics for the new song “Cacerolazo” by popular Chilean singer Ana Tijoux. The number refers to the fare hike and to three decades of discontent that Chileans have experienced since democracy was officially restored in their country in 1990. All these years later, the Chilean people are still living under a constitution approved in 1980, under Pinochet’s dictatorship.

The Biggest March in Chile

Over the past week, Piñera has gradually announced reforms and adjustments: He reversed the public transportation fare hike, proposed increasing basic pension rates by 20%, raising the monthly minimum wage to $481, reducing weekly working hours from 44 to 40 a week, and promised stabilized energy costs. But many Chileans remain angry. On October 25, more than 1.2 million people gathered around Plaza Italia.

“It was massive. Crowded. It was so exciting!” Gabriela Valenzuela recalls during a phone call with Teen Vogue. Valenzuela is a 24-year-old lawyer who has been protesting for days and, after what she saw in the plaza, feels enthusiastic and optimistic. “It was full of people, families, children, people riding their bikes, skating, doing all kinds of things.” She mentioned that she even saw a meditation group.

After the mass protest in Santiago, Piñera called on key members of his cabinet to resign and put an end to the curfew and states of emergency across Chile. But tension and uncertainty linger in the streets of downtown Santiago. There’s still a smell of tear gas in the streets, graffiti speaks of discontent, traffic lights are destroyed, and congestion clogs the roads. New protests continue to break out. The future of the country is still hanging in the balance.

Want more from Teen Vogue? Check this out: These States Are Pushing Laws to Restrict Protests on College Campuses