Protests in Chile 2019/2020

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Protests on October 22, 2019
A notice board informs about the temporary closure of the Metro de Santiago

The 2019 Chile protests are a series of demonstrations in the Chilean capital, Santiago de Chile, and other cities in the country , targeting social inequality in the country and sparking off public service cost increases.

The protests then expanded into a movement for constitutional reform and deep reforms of the economic system. Unlike the school and student protests 2011–2012 , the protests are supported by a broad population.

background

Thirty years after the end of the Pinochet dictatorship , Chile is characterized by severe poverty and inequality, despite its good economic development since then .

Half of the population of Chile earns less than 400,000 pesos a month (around 500 euros). At the same time, the cost of living is very high. The protests were triggered by a planned increase in the price of the Metro de Santiago by 30  pesos , later they were mainly directed against the inadequate private pension system (AFP) , the electricity prices , the neoliberal economic system and rising prices in general as well as the high and for many Chileans hardly have affordable costs for education and health.

While many of the demonstrations were largely peaceful, others led to violent clashes between security forces (police and military) and protesters.

According to figures from the National Institute for Human Rights , several people were killed (shot and run over) and shot by the police and the military. The institute has also registered twelve reports of torture and numerous cases of women being sexually assaulted.

The damage to property that occurred during the protests amounted to the equivalent of several hundred million euros. Since the beginning of the protests, parts of the demonstrators have set almost 80 underground stations and numerous vehicles on fire.

course

Imposed state of emergency and curfew (dark red), only imposed state of emergency (orange)
A burnt out bus of the Red Metropolitana de Movilidad after the riot on the night of October 18th

Smaller protests started already on October 7, 2019. As on October 18, the riots massively increased and Metro stations and buses were set on fire, the Chilean president imposed Sebastian Pinera the state of emergency for the capital . The operation of the Metro de Santiago had to be stopped across the board. For the first time since the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, a state of emergency due to political unrest was imposed in the capital of Chile . Since then, soldiers from the armed forces of Chile have been patrolling the streets of Santiago.

President Piñera's behavior came under fire when photos of him turned up at his grandson's birthday party in a pizzeria while violent demonstrations were taking place elsewhere.

On October 19, three people died in a fire caused by demonstrators in a supermarket in San Bernardo . A state of emergency was also declared on the same day for the Valparaíso region and the Concepción province .

On October 20, Piñera announced that the controversial price increases would be withdrawn. On the same day, five people died in a fire in a textile factory. There were allegations that the police used undue violence against the demonstrators.

The next day, the government extended the state of emergency to nine of the country's twelve regions and spoke of war for the first time in view of the unrest in the country.

On 22 and 23 October, the government offered a 1.2 billion dollars on expensive package of amendments. The promised social measures include an increase in minimum pensions and wages, lower drug prices, 10% lower increases in health and electricity costs, higher taxes for high-income earners, and a reduction in the salaries of MPs and high-ranking civil servants.

On October 25, according to information from the Intendantur (Upper City Directorate) of Santiago, around 1.2 million people took part in the demonstration called by trade unions and social organizations in the center of Santiago de Chile. It is said to have been the largest demonstration in the country's history. There were also demonstrations in numerous other cities. A day later, President Piñera announced a major government reshuffle. He asked all ministers of his government to make their office available in order to be able to form a new cabinet and “to meet these new demands and to take on the new times.” Piñera also announced a state of emergency on the night of October 28th in Chile "if circumstances permit". Previously, the military headquarters responsible for public security due to the state of emergency had not renewed the curfew, which had been imposed every day since the serious unrest on October 19, in the metropolitan region.

According to official figures on October 24, 19 people have died since the protests began, five of them as a result of actions by the police and the military. According to the National Institute for Human Rights (INDH), over 1,050 people were injured; more than 530 suffered ballistic injuries, 35 of them from firearms . There were 3,163 statistically recorded arrests, including 343 minors. In 80 cases, the INDH initiated judicial measures for crimes committed by members of the security forces, including five deaths and 15 cases of sexual violence. More than 7,000 people were arrested.

After President Piñera had announced a reshuffle of the cabinet days earlier due to the protests, he dismissed Interior Minister Andrés Chadwick on October 28, 2019 and also filled the post of finance minister.

On October 30, due to the ongoing unrest, the President canceled the UN Climate Change Conference 2019 scheduled for December in the capital Santiago de Chile and the APEC summit scheduled for mid-November . The tourism industry recently recorded a decline in hotel bookings, and many trips have now been canceled.

During protests on November 4th, in which tens of thousands of people took part, police and demonstrators clashed, during which water cannons were used and incendiary devices were thrown. The National Institute for Human Rights (INDH) registered 2,300 charges of violations of human rights by police officers and soldiers in three weeks. According to the President of the Human Rights Department of the Chilean Medical Board, 200 people lost one of their eyes, which is nowhere else in the world to this extent.

On November 10, Interior Minister Gonzalo Blumel announced the drafting of a new constitution, thereby fulfilling one of the demands of the demonstrators. The previous constitution dates from the time of the Pinochet dictatorship . A referendum on whether voters want a new constitution and who should draft it, if any, has been scheduled for April 26, 2020.

According to official figures, over 28,000 people were arrested, at least temporarily, between October 18 and December 6. As of December 13, the protests had killed 26 people and injured more than 4,900. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights accused the Chilean police in a report of serious human rights violations. On December 14th, thousands of people protested in the capital Santiago de Chile over the UN report that human rights abuses had been committed against detained protesters. Violent riots broke out on the fringes of the registered mass demonstration.

More than 54,442 people were arrested between October 18 and December 31. More than 36,745 indictments have been filed; 2,824 of them are under 18 years of age.

On January 6 and 7, 2020, there was a boycott of the PSU (Prueba de Selección Universitaria), standardized entrance examination for universities . Instead of taking the exam, thousands of students burned the exam papers and demonstrated in the playgrounds. As a result, the PSU could not take place in over 80 schools, and around 300,000 pupils were affected. The history exam had to be canceled completely after the assignments were published on social networks . There were violent clashes between students, parents and police officers. The Chilean Ministry of the Interior announced that it would sue 34 people who participated in the boycott of the PSU under the National Security Act.

In the last week of January 2020, four people were killed in violent protests. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights published a preliminary report on January 31st, in which it criticized the violation of human rights in Chile.

In the course of the COVID-19 pandemic , lawyers, relatives and volunteers founded a prisoners' aid organization, as no protective measures were taken by the prison system. On the contrary, according to a report by the National Institute for Human Rights (INDH), more than half of the Chilean prisons examined have problems with the water supply, sanitary facilities or inadequate access to hygiene products.

The Chilean judge Daniel Urrutia , known for his social and political commitment , ruled on March 25, 2020 that 13 detainees of the protests could serve their pre-trial detention due to the coronavirus pandemic under house arrest. On the same day the appellate court decided to remove the judge from office. More than 270 lawyers then wrote a letter of complaint expressing concern about the rule of law in Chile.

Web links

Commons : Protests in Chile 2019  - Collection of images

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Chile's capital in state of emergency amid unrest . October 19, 2019 ( bbc.com [accessed October 21, 2019]).
  2. ↑ Sophia Boddenberg: "Chile is awake" - dead in protests in Chile: memories of military dictatorship. Frankfurter Rundschau, October 22, 2019, accessed on October 23, 2019 .
  3. ^ A b c d Sophia Boddenberg: Social Protests in Chile: It's all about . In: The daily newspaper: taz . October 22, 2019, ISSN  0931-9085 ( taz.de [accessed October 24, 2019]).
  4. ↑ Eleven dead in protests: Chile's government extends state of emergency . In: Spiegel Online . October 21, 2019 ( spiegel.de [accessed October 24, 2019]).
  5. ↑ Klaus Ehringfeld, Buenos Aires: Social Protest in Chile: Piñera announces surprising to reforms . In: Spiegel Online . October 23, 2019 ( spiegel.de [accessed October 23, 2019]).
  6. ↑ Eleven dead in protests: Chile's government extends state of emergency . In: Spiegel Online . October 21, 2019 ( spiegel.de [accessed October 24, 2019]).
  7. ↑ Pascale Bonnefoy: After Fare Hike Stirs Violent Unrest in Chile, President Suspends It . In: The New York Times . October 19, 2019, ISSN  0362-4331 ( nytimes.com [accessed October 21, 2019]).
  8. ↑ Claudia Dominguez, Daniel Silva Fernandez: Chile's president declares state of emergency after riots over metro fare hike. In: CNN.com. Retrieved October 21, 2019 .
  9. ↑ Chile declares state of emergency amid riots. In: Reuters.com. Retrieved October 21, 2019 .
  10. ^ John Bartlett: Chile protests: state of emergency declared in Santiago as violence escalates . In: The Observer . October 19, 2019, ISSN  0029-7712 ( theguardian.com [accessed October 21, 2019]).
  11. ↑ Chile's president withdraws subway tariff increase after protests. In: rt.com . October 20, 2019, accessed October 21, 2019 .
  12. ↑ a b Three dead in Chile supermarket fire amid riots . October 20, 2019 ( bbc.com [accessed October 21, 2019]).
  13. ^ Protesters set city transport on fire. October 19, 2019, accessed October 21, 2019 .
  14. ↑ Santiago on fire and with no transport and Piñera in a family party at a pizza parlor. In: mercopress.com. Retrieved October 21, 2019 .
  15. ↑ Intendencia confirma que incendio que afectó a supermercado de San Bernardo durante saqueos dejó al menos tres fallecidos. In: Emol. October 20, 2019, accessed October 21, 2019 (Spanish).
  16. ↑ Chile: protests rage on as president extends state of emergency . In: The Guardian . October 21, 2019, ISSN  0261-3077 ( theguardian.com [accessed October 21, 2019]).
  17. ↑ President Piñera gives in - protests are having an impact - Chile's subway prices are not rising. In: srf.ch . October 20, 2019, accessed October 20, 2019 .
  18. ↑ Muertos por protestas en Chile aumentan a 8 y se extiende toque de queda. In: DW.com (Deutsche Welle). October 21, 2019, accessed October 21, 2019 (Spanish).
  19. ↑ Militares disparan en Puente Alto y hieren de gravedad a una persona: Cinco uniformados son investigados por la Fiscalía. In: latercera.com. October 20, 2019, accessed October 21, 2019 (Spanish).
  20. ↑ Eleven dead in protests: Chile's government extends state of emergency . In: Spiegel Online . October 21, 2019 ( spiegel.de [accessed October 21, 2019]).
  21. ^ Riots in Chile: President promises reforms. ORF, October 23, 2019, accessed on October 23, 2019 .
  22. ↑ Klaus Ehringfeld: Social Protest in Chile: Piñera announces surprising to reforms . In: Spiegel Online . October 23, 2019 ( spiegel.de [accessed October 23, 2019]).
  23. ^ Histórica marcha de un millon de personas coronó una semana completa de manifestaciones. In: cooperativa.cl. October 25, 2019, accessed October 26, 2019 (Spanish).
  24. ↑ Chile: millions protest for social reforms. In: tagesschau.de. October 26, 2019, accessed October 26, 2019 .
  25. ↑ President Piñera wants to change the entire cabinet. In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung . October 26, 2019, accessed October 26, 2019 .
  26. ↑ Will a new cabinet be enough for the Chileans? In: tagesschau.de. October 26, 2019, accessed October 26, 2019 .
  27. ↑ Chile: ya hay 19 muertos por las protestas y el lunes llega una misión de la ONU. In: Diario de Cuyo. October 25, 2019, accessed October 26, 2019 (Spanish).
  28. ↑ Ricardo Pérez Vallejos: INDH anunció querellas por cinco muertes en acciones de militares y policías. In: La Nación (Chile) . October 23, 2019, accessed October 25, 2019 (Spanish).
  29. ↑ INDH cifra en 3.163 los detenidos y en 1.057 los heridos a nivel nacional tras una semana de protestas. In: CNN . October 26, 2019, accessed October 27, 2019 (Spanish).
  30. ↑ In Chile demonstrators are disappearing again. In: derstandard.at . October 29, 2019, accessed November 5, 2019.
  31. ↑ Jonathan Franklin: Chile: protesters light bonfires and clash with police despite cabinet reshuffle . In: The Guardian . October 29, 2019, ISSN  0261-3077 ( theguardian.com [accessed October 29, 2019]).
  32. ^ Riots in Chile affect tourism. In: euronews.com . November 2, 2019, accessed November 3, 2019 .
  33. ↑ Heavy clashes during protests in Chile. In: derstandard.at . November 5, 2019, accessed November 5, 2019.
  34. ^ Sophia Boddenberg, Antonia Schaefer: Human rights violations in Chile. "My father died after the police beat him". In: spiegel.de. November 11, 2019, accessed November 17, 2019 .
  35. ↑ Demand met: Chile's government announces a new constitution. In: derstandard.at . November 11, 2019, accessed November 11, 2019.
  36. ^ Constitutional referendum in Chile in April. In: orf.at . December 27, 2019, accessed December 27, 2019.
  37. ^ UNO accuses Chile's police of torture and rape. In: orf.at . December 13, 2019, accessed December 13, 2019.
  38. ↑ Mass protests in Chile: Reports of deaths, torture and mistreatment - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Video . In: Spiegel Online . December 14, 2019 ( spiegel.de [accessed December 14, 2019]).
  39. ↑ Tagesschau 14.12.2019 20:00. In: tagesschau.de. Retrieved December 14, 2019 .
  40. ↑ Sophia Boddenberg, DER SPIEGEL: Young demonstrators in Chile: "They are treated like scum" - DER SPIEGEL - Politics. Retrieved April 5, 2020 .
  41. ^ A b Sophia Boddenberg: Chile: Sued with a law from times of dictatorship . In: The time . January 14, 2020, ISSN  0044-2070 ( zeit.de [accessed January 15, 2020]).
  42. ↑ Protester in Chile died after being shot in the head. In: derstandard.at . February 1, 2020, accessed February 1, 2020.
  43. ^ A b c Sophia Boddenberg, DER SPIEGEL: Young demonstrators in Chile: "They are treated like scum" - DER SPIEGEL - Politics. Retrieved April 5, 2020 .