2019 Santiago Protests - Wikipedia

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2019 Santiago protests


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Upload file The 2019 Chilean protests are a series of 2019 Chilean protests
Special pages ongoing civil protests taking place across
Permanent link several cities in Chile. The protests began
Page information
in the capital Santiago as a coordinated
Wikidata item
campaign by secondary school students to
Cite this page
avoid paying the Metro de Santiago
In other projects subway in response to recent price hikes,
Wikimedia Commons leading to spontaneous takeovers of the
city's main train stations and open
Print/export
confrontations with the national police
Create a book (Carabineros). On 18 October, the situation
Download as PDF
escalated as organized bands of protesters
Printable version Information display at Los Leones metro station about
rose in rebellion across the city, seizing the closure of the Metro for the weekend on the
Languages many terminals of the Santiago Metro afternoon of 18 October
Deutsch network (part of Red) and disabling them Date 14 October 2019 – ongoing[1]
Español with extensive infrastructure damage. The Location Santiago, Concepción, San Antonio,
Français Metro network was disabled in its entirety. Valparaíso and other Chilean cities
Português
On 18 October, President of Chile Caused Rise in public transport fares[2][3]
Русский
by Rising cost of living
Edit links Sebastián Piñera announced a state of
Corruption
emergency, authorizing the deployment of

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2019 Santiago protests - Wikipedia

Increase in crime rates


Chilean Army forces across the main
Resulted Ongoing
regions to enforce order and crack down
in Closure of the Santiago Metro on the
on the destruction of public property, and
weekend of 19-20 October
invoked before the courts the Ley de State of emergency and curfew declared
Seguridad del Estado ("State Security [2]

Law") against dozens of detainees. A Lead figures


curfew was declared on 19 October in the
No organized Sebastián Piñera
Greater Santiago area,[5] for the first time leadership
since 1987, at the end of the Pinochet
Casualties
dictatorship.[6]
Death(s) 10+[4]
Protests and riots have expanded to other Injuries 300+
cities, including Concepción, San Antonio Detained 1,462
and Valparaíso.[7] The state of emergency
was extended to the Concepción Province, all Valparaíso Region (except Easter Island and
Juan Fernández Archipelago) and the cities of Antofagasta, Coquimbo, La Serena, Rancagua
and Valdivia.

Contents []
1 Background
2 October protests
3 Incidents and casualties
4 References

Background [ edit ]

The price of public transport in Greater Santiago is


determined by the Panel of Experts of Public Transport
(Spanish: Panel de Expertos del Transporte Público),
which uses an automatic calculation formula to adjust
fares on a monthly basis. The Ministry of Transportation
and Telecommunications is advised by the panel and
must be notified of any price changes.[8]

On 1 October 2019, the Panel determined the quarterly


adjustment of tariffs for the public transport system of
Fee, adjusted by inflation, of public the Province of Santiago and the communes of San
transportation in Santiago, between
January 31, 2012, and October 6, 2019,
Bernardo and Puente Alto. They decided that a fare
before the last increase was revoked hike of CLP$10 for buses and CLP$30 for the Santiago
Metro and Metrotrén at peak hours (a rise of about 4%),
as well as a fare decrease of CLP$30 at off-peak hours,
was neccesary.[9] The increase was justified by the panel due to increase of the rate index
indicated in the law, which is subject to variations in the value of fuel, the value of the US dollar,
the value of the euro, the cost of labor, and the consumer price index among other variables, so
that the costs of the concessionaires and the subway have risen.[10] The fare change was
[11]

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2019 Santiago protests - Wikipedia

scheduled to take effect from 6 October.

Some specialists, such as former Minister Paola Tapia, have indicated that there are other
factors that explain the rise. Among these factors would be the purchase without tender of a
new fleet of electric buses for the Metropolitan Mobility Network and the suspension of the new
tender for bus services, both decisions made by the administration of Minister Gloria Hutt.[12]

In addition, there is criticism that rail transit fares in Santiago are the second highest in Latin
America (only surpassed by São Paulo).[13] In relative terms, the average monthly cost per
person for the city's public transport is equivalent to 13.8% of the minimum wage, well above
other cities such as Buenos Aires, Mexico City or Lima, where it does not exceed 10%.[14]

October protests [ edit ]

The protests began on Monday, 7 October,


as secondary-school students began an
orchestrated campaign of fare dodging on
the Santiago Metro. In response, the Metro
authority began controlling access to several
stations.[15] Under the slogan ¡Evade!
("avoid"), the fare-dodging campaign
continued and grew over the remainder of
that week and into the next. On Monday, 14 One of the 16 public transport buses that were
burned on the night of 18 October
October, several stations on Line 5 were
closed in the afternoon after violent
incidents were reported.[16] On 15 October,
a major clash between students and police
occurred at Santa Ana station and four
arrests were made;[17] in the afternoon, a
group of protesters kicked down a metal
gate at Plaza de Armas station in downtown
Santiago, and stations on Lines 1, 3 and 5
were closed to passengers as security was
stepped up.[18]
Confrontations continued Carabineros Special Forces watching protests on
19 October
and expanded over the following days, with
turnstiles and ticket machines being
destroyed at San Joaquín station on 17 October and four stations closed in the evening.[19] At
that time, 133 arrests had been made and damage to Metro infrastructure was estimated at up
to 500 million pesos (USD 700,000).[20]

On Friday, 18 October, the situation escalated as protests unfolded in downtown Santiago.


Barricades were built, to which the police responded with water cannon and tear gas. The entire
Metro system was closed after attacks were reported at nearly all its 164 stations, forcing many
passengers to walk home.[20] The headquarters building of electricity company Enel Generación
Chile was damaged in a massive fire.[21]

A major event that galvanized the day's movement was related to Sebastián Piñera himself. At

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2019 Santiago protests - Wikipedia

approximately 21:00 hours on 18 October, while riots and open battles swept the capital, the
President was away from La Moneda Palace, busy attending the birthday of one of his
grandchildren. The celebration took place at a restaurant named Romani's, an expensive pizza
parlour in the northern district of Vitacura, one of Santiago's wealthiest.[22] An unidentified
customer who happened to be inside took photographs and posted them anonymously on
Twitter, showing a relaxed Piñera eating inside and his private escort convoy sitting outside the
building.[22][23]
Piñera later addressed the nation and announced a 15-day state of emergency in
the capital, allowing the armed forces to patrol the city alongside the Carabineros.[20][24]

The violence continued on 19 October and the Metro remained closed to passengers. Shops
were looted, buses were set alight and clashes occurred between demonstrators and the
security forces.[25] A curfew was imposed between 22:00 and 07:00 hours. As rioting spread to
other parts of the country, states of emergency were declared in the Valparaíso region and
Concepción province.[24] In an address to the nation in the evening, President Piñera
announced the cancellation of the fare increase and the establishment of a dialogue panel, with
representatives from across society, to discuss the underlying causes behind the unrest.[26][27]

On 20 October, many supermarkets, shopping malls and cinemas remained closed[28] as the
protests continued.[26]
Curfews were imposed for that night in the Santiago Metropolitan Region,
and the regions of Valparaíso, Biobío (including the regional capital, Concepción), and
Coquimbo;[29] as the curfew began in Santiago, however, El Mercurio Online reported that many
protesters remained on the street.[30] Local authorities also announced the closure of schools on
21 October (and some also on 22 October) in 43 of the 52 communes of the Metropolitan
Region and across the province of Concepción.[31][32]

Incidents and casualties [ edit ]

18 October
During riots at the historical Estación Central station, a young
woman was gravely injured in the legs by gunfire from
Carabineros riot police. The woman was aided by nearby
protesters and passers-by as she suffered extensive blood loss
before being extracted by emergency services.[33]
19 October
Three people died in a fire caused by protestors inside a
supermarket in the southern Santiago suburb of San
Bernardo.[34]
A doctor assaulted by a police officer during a protest indicated
that the police officer had signs of being under the influence of
drugs.[35] Other allegations of police officers using drugs during
the protest surface in the internet.[36]
20 October
Five people died in a textile factory fire on Sunday.[37] Several
allegations claim that the armed forces have disproportionately
shot protesters.[38]

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2019 Santiago protests - Wikipedia

21 October
President Piñera extended the state of emergency in the north
and south of the country and said "we are at war".[39]

References [ edit ]

1. ^ Cooperativa.cl. "[Video] Secundarios protestaron contra el alza del


Metro con masiva evasión" [Secondary [students] protest against
the rise of Metro fares with a massive [fare] evasion]. Cooperativa.cl
(in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-10-19.
   State of
2. ^ a b CNN, Claudia Dominguez and Daniel Silva Fernandez. "Chile's
emergency and
president declares state of emergency after riots over metro fare curfew
hike" . CNN. Retrieved 2019-10-19.    State of
3. ^ "Chile's capital in state of emergency amid unrest" . 19 October emergency
2019. Retrieved 2019-10-19 – via www.bbc.com.
4. ^ Díaz Montero, Felipe (20 October 2019). "Gobierno confirman tres
muertos en incendio de supermercado en San Bernardo" .
BioBioChile. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
5. ^ "General Iturriaga decreta toque de queda en Santiago para afrontar
graves disturbios" . BioBioChile - La Red de Prensa Más Grande de
Chile. 2019-10-19. Retrieved 2019-10-20.
6. ^ "Decretan inédito toque de queda en Santiago tras fracaso del
gobierno en contener ola de protestas" . El Desconcierto (in
Spanish). Retrieved 2019-10-20.
7. ^ "Protestas y destrucción se registran en San Antonio y Valparaíso
tras caos en el Gran Santiago" . BioBioChile - La Red de Prensa
Más Grande de Chile. 2019-10-19. Retrieved 2019-10-20.
8. ^ "Panel Expertos - Preguntas Frecuentes" [Panel of Experts -
Freqeunt Questions]. www.paneldeexpertostarifas.cl (in Spanish).
Retrieved 2019-10-19.
9. ^ http://www.paneldeexpertostarifas.cl/documentos/ResN22019.pdf
10. ^ Cooperativa.cl. "Así opera el panel de expertos que sube las tarifas
del transporte público" [This is how the panel of experts that
increases public transport rates operates]. Cooperativa.cl (in Spanish).
Retrieved 2019-10-19.
11. ^ Cooperativa.cl. "Subir al Metro en horario punta costará ahora 830
pesos" [Metro rides at peak hours will now cost 830 pesos].
Cooperativa.cl (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-10-19.
12. ^ Cooperativa.cl. "Ex ministra de Transportes: Alza de pasajes es
consecuencia directa de las decisiones del Gobierno" [Former
Minister of Transportation: Fare increase is a direct consequence of
the Government's decisions]. Cooperativa.cl (in Spanish). Retrieved
2019-10-20.
13. ^ "Tarifa del Transantiago suma aumento de $200 desde su inicio en
2007" [Transantiago tariffs have increased by CLP$200 since 2007].
www.latercera.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-10-20. Text "La
Tercera" ignored (help)

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2019 Santiago protests - Wikipedia

14. ^ "T13" . www.t13.cl. Retrieved 2019-10-20. Text " Tele 13" ignored
(help)
15. ^ "Evasión masiva de alumnos del Instituto Nacional en el Metro
termina con denuncia en Fiscalía y medidas de contención" . La
Tercera. 11 October 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
16. ^ "Metro cierra varias estaciones de la Línea 5 por
manifestaciones" . 14 October 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
17. ^ Tironi, Constanza García. "Las evasiones masivas no paran:
estación Santa Ana registra graves disturbios" . Publimetro Chile.
Retrieved 21 October 2019.
18. ^ "Metro cierra estaciones por nuevas evasiones masivas" . 15
October 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
19. ^ "T13 | Tele 13" . www.t13.cl. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
20. ^ abc "Chile protests: State of emergency declared in Santiago" .
www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
21. ^ "Incendio descomunal afecta edificio de ENEL en centro de
Santiago: evacuaron a 40 trabajadores" . BioBioChile - La Red de
Prensa Más Grande de Chile. 2019-10-18. Retrieved 2019-10-19.
22. ^ a b "BRUTAL: Mientras todo Chile protestaba y su Gobierno se caía
a pedazos pillaron a Piñera comiendo en una pizzería de Vitacura" .
Gamba (in Spanish). 2019-10-18. Retrieved 2019-10-19.
23. ^ "Santiago on fire and with no transport and Piñera in a family party
at a pizza parlor" . MercoPress. Retrieved 2019-10-19.
24. ^ a b "Three dead in Chile supermarket fire amid riots" . 20 October
2019. Retrieved 21 October 2019 – via www.bbc.com.
25. ^ "Chile extends state of emergency as protest death toll hits
seven" . news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
26. ^ ab Press, Associated (21 October 2019). "Chile: protests rage as
president extends state of emergency" . Retrieved 21 October 2019
– via www.theguardian.com.
27. ^ "Presidente Piñera anuncia suspensión del alza de pasajes en el
transporte público y convoca a una mesa de diálogo para escuchar las
demandas de la ciudadanía" . prensa.presidencia.cl. Retrieved
21 October 2019.
28. ^ "¿Se puede ir al supermercado? ¿tomar un vuelo? ¿ir al cine?: qué
hacer y qué no en este domingo en la capital" . La Tercera. 20
October 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
29. ^ S.A.P, El Mercurio (20 October 2019). "Decretan toques de queda
para las regiones Metropolitana, Biobío, Valparaíso y Coquimbo |
Emol.com" . Emol. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
30. ^ S.A.P, El Mercurio (21 October 2019). "Toque de queda por
manifestaciones | Emol.com" . Emol. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
31. ^ S.A.P, El Mercurio (20 October 2019). "Entregan listado de las 48
comunas que suspenderán las clases mañana lunes en la Región
Metropolitana | Emol.com" . Emol. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
32. ^ "Suspensión de clases: Revisa qué comunas de la RM no tendrán
clases mañana" . La Tercera. 20 October 2019. Retrieved
21 October 2019.

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2019 Santiago protests - Wikipedia

33. ^ "Video muestra a joven herida durante jornada de protestas en


Estación Central" . https://www.facebook.com/eldesconciertocl/ (in
Spanish). Retrieved 2019-10-19. External link in |website= (help)
34. ^ S.A.P, El Mercurio (2019-10-20). "Intendencia confirma que incendio
que afectó a supermercado de San Bernardo durante saqueos dejó al
menos tres fallecidos | Emol.com" . Emol (in Spanish). Retrieved
2019-10-20.
35. ^ Médico golpeado por FF.EE. durante protestas: “Carabinero tenía
los mismos rasgos de pacientes que han consumido cocaína”(In
Spanish)
36. ^ Actualidad RT (In Spanish)
37. ^ Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. "Muertos por protestas en Chile
aumentan a 8 y se extiende toque de queda | DW | 21.10.2019" .
DW.COM (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-10-21.
38. ^ "Militares disparan en Puente Alto y hieren de gravedad a una
persona: Cinco uniformados son investigados por la Fiscalía" . La
Tercera (in Spanish). 2019-10-20. Retrieved 2019-10-21.
39. ^ Chile's Pinera extends state of emergency, says 'we are at war'

Categories: 2019 in Chile 2019 protests 2019 riots 2010s crimes in Chile
2010s in Santiago, Chile October 2019 crimes October 2019 events in South America
Riots and civil disorder in Chile

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