Chile ‘at war’ as worst riots in decades spread to rest of the country
- Chile’s worst protests in decades have prompted the government to announce a state of emergency
- Protests over subway fare increase morph into a broader movement against inequality
At least seven people died and dozens were injured this weekend in Santiago and other major Chilean cities as protests against income equality intensified and spread across the country.
The government has declared a state of emergency in the capital and four other regions in central Chile, giving it broader powers to enact security measures like curfews, for the first time since Augusto Pinochet was dictator.
President Sebastian Pinera announced Saturday night that he would suspend the hike in subway fares that initially sparked the protests. But it was too little, and too late, to immediately defuse the tension.
The unrest has disrupted daily life in Santiago, with rioters damaging more than 70 subway stations damaged and setting buses on fire, with Metro de Santiago, the capital’s subway operator, estimating the cost of damage at more than US$300 million, according to La Tercera.
Delayed flights resulted caused chaos at the city’s airport. Pinera met with the heads of the Supreme Court and Congress on Sunday to discuss ways to overcome the crisis, according to media reports.