Chile president seeks cross-party help to end street violence

Yahoo – AFP, Barnaby CHESTERMAN, 22 October 2019

Demonstrators clash against soldiers during a protest in Valparaiso, Chile,
on October 21, 2019

President Sebastian Pinera convened a meeting with leaders of Chile's political parties on Tuesday in the hope of finding a way to end street violence that has claimed 15 lives, as anti-government campaigners threatened new protests.

The country's worst violence in decades erupted on Friday, initially triggered by an increase in metro fares. But it has mushroomed into a broader outcry against social and economic woes, including a yawning gap between rich and poor, in a country normally considered one of the most stable in Latin America.

The conservative Pinera declared over the weekend that the country was "at war against a powerful, implacable enemy," and imposed a state of emergency on Santiago and most of Chile's 16 regions.

Army General Javier Iturriaga announced curfews in effect for the last three nights.

On Monday, Pinera adopted a more conciliatory tone, saying he wanted to address people's grievances.

He said the meeting with political parties was to work on "a social agreement that will allow us all together to rapidly, efficiently and responsibly approach better solutions to the problems afflicting Chileans."

But Chile's largest union, the Workers' United Center of Chile (CUT) called strikes and protests for Thursday and Friday, alongside 18 other social organizations.

The public health sector workers' union also announced plans to strike and demonstrate.

Almost 1,500 people have been detained since Chile's outbreak of social unrest began

Death toll rise

The violence -- with widespread looting, arson and clashes with security forces -- is the worst to hit Chile since it returned to democracy after the 1973-1990 rightwing dictatorship led by General Augusto Pinochet.

Some 20,000 police and military troops have been providing security.

"This is not happening because they raised the metro fare by 30 pesos," said a man who gave his name only as Orlando, taking part in Monday's protests. He cited gripes including low salaries and pensions, waiting lists at hospitals and high prices for medicine.

"This has been going on for 30 years," the 55-year-old said.

The metro fare increase has been suspended but that has not stopped the violence.

The government raised the death toll on Tuesday to 15.

Eleven of the fatalities were in the Santiago region and caused by looting and arson, mainly targeting supermarkets and shopping centers, Deputy Interior Minister Rodrigo Ubilla told a news conference.

Three of the deaths outside the capital were from gunshots, he said.

In central Santiago, many shops and businesses that were closed on Monday had reopened. People returning to work or daily life waited patiently as long queues formed at bus stops and supermarkets.

Only one of the Santiago metro's seven lines -- which normally carry three million people a day -- was operational, although a fleet of 4,300 public busses took up much of strain.

More than half of Santiago's 136 metro stations suffered heavy damage on Friday, the first day of riots.

Around 50 schools and 10 universities in the capital remained closed but hospitals and clinics operated normally.

Chile's security forces have used tear gas and water cannons on the most 

unruly demonstrators

Relative calm

Monday night saw a marked drop in violence. A drive through Santiago in the early hours of Tuesday showed it largely deserted except for military vehicles and police patrols.

Earlier in several parts of the capital, a handful of peaceful protesters defiantly ignored the curfew order and faced off with security forces.

A young man died after being hit by a military truck during the looting of a fishing company in the southern city of Talcahuano, the prosecutor's office said on Monday.

Since the unrest began more than 2,600 people have been detained.

Chile's human rights institute said more than 200 people had been taken to hospital, almost half with gunshot wounds, while many others suffered eye injuries from pellets.

Once again on Monday, security forces used tear gas and water cannon on stone-throwing demonstrators who set up street barricades and lit fires.

Thousands of protesters gathered peacefully in the main Plaza Italia square in the capital on Monday, chanting "Pinera Out!" and "Get out military!"

Art teacher Camila Rojas, 29, said protesters had many demands, but "Pinera's resignation is the first thing."

#Pineradictador -- Pinera dictator -- was trending on social media as users denounced violence by security forces.

While some protesters broke up curbs to throw stones, smashed bus shelters or looted shops the vast majority in the capital were in festive mood, chanting, banging drums, playing music and dancing.

"We have to have a party to cancel out in a way those who are doing the excesses," Marcelo Gonzalez, 25, an engineering student carrying a drum, told AFP.

At Santiago's international airport, airline giant LATAM brought out deck chairs for passengers stranded by flight cancellations caused by the protests.