• Protests in Chile due to the increase in the metro ticket: state of emergency declared

Share

19 October 2019There is also the building of the Enel electricity company among the buildings burned in the center of Santiago de Chile in the night. The fire broke out during the violent popular protests triggered by the increase in the price of public transport. The company wrote on Twitter that "at about 10 pm a group of unknown persons attacked the structures of the company's building, in particular the emergency staircase. Immediately the workers were evacuated and transferred to a safe place, without there being injured people.

Fire destroyed
Enel is deeply sorry for the serious violence ". The fire was then tamed by the fire brigade. On a subsequent note, Enel said that the damage" is limited to the fire escape and the interiors of some floors ". In particular, the group underlines that "possible collapses are currently to be excluded". The clashes were violent during the night in the Chilean capital, where a Banco Chile headquarters was also burned down, a supermarket, AFP reported, was looted and several stations of the underground have been attached with Molotov cocktails.

Violence in the night
A state of emergency was declared in the capital of Chile, Santiago, following a protest against the increase in the prices of public transport that degenerated into violence. The demonstrators, mostly high school and university students, skipped the turnstiles, devastated various subway stations, lit fires and stopped traffic, causing damage throughout the city and leaving thousands of commuters on foot. The TV showed images of protesters throwing stones, attacking police vehicles and setting fire to buses. Riot police used batons and tear gas against some protesters. The unrest highlighted the strong inequalities in a country among the richest in South America, especially in Santiago, a city where six million people live.

The president Piñera on TV
Speaking on TV, President Sebastián Piñera said that the purpose of the state of emergency is "to guarantee public order and the security of public and private property". The provision allows law enforcement agencies to restrict people's freedom of movement and assembly. The president said the government "calls for dialogue to alleviate the suffering of those affected by ticket increases". The metro tickets have been increased, attributed to the increase in energy costs and the devaluation of the Chilean peso, by more than one euro for rush-hour trips.