In Chile, the éborgnés erected in symbol of the repression

"I felt like a very strong sting in the eye. I put my hand on my face and then looked at my hand: it was full of blood and I fainted. "

Ybar Soto Pizarro is 29 years old. On October 24, he went out to demonstrate in the Plaza Italia in Santiago de Chile against the cost of living when he received a shot of lead ball from the Chilean police. Supported by the Red Cross, he was transferred to the hospital where he received treatment. Three weeks after the fact, he tells France 24 how this eye injury affects his daily life.

"My sense of balance and my vision are always disturbed," he says. "This injury really bothers me for my work. I am an electrician, a job where you have to be particularly careful. The doctors said I could not work for three to six months. "

Since October 18, Chile is agitated by a dispute. The demonstrators demand social reforms and a modification of the Constitution inherited from the Pinochet dictatorship. This is the biggest social crisis experienced by the country since the return of democracy in 1990.

At least 197 stunned since the beginning of the dispute

The National Institute of Human Rights (INDH), an independent state agency, estimates that 197 people have suffered, like Ybar, eye injuries, "mainly caused by shots of 'buckshot' rubber". but also other weapons, like tear gas bombs ". Police and the Chilean military deployed indeed use rifle rifles against demonstrators. They shoot "balines" and "perdigones", small gum balls or metal that can cause serious injuries.

➡ In Chile existen 197 personas that han sufrido daño ocular, especialmente por disparo of escopetas of perdigones, pero también con otras armas, como lanzamiento de bombas lacrimógenas.

According to the Chilean doctors' order and several local human rights organizations, this figure far exceeds the number of similar cases during the Yellow Vests crisis in France, estimated at 24 according to the count of independent journalist David Dufresne, or massive demonstrations in Hong Kong.

"The protest was peaceful," insists Ybar Soto Pizarro. "The carabinieri arrived and, without warning, they started firing. It caused a riot. I was looking at about fifty meters when it happened. "

"I do not know if the police intended to inflict this type of injury. I think that because with their rifle, they did not seek to aim the ground or in the air. Each time, they shot in front of them as if it was a war. "

Gustavo Gatica, 21, has become despite himself the symbol of repression and éborgnés. This student is now almost completely blind after being injured in both eyes. For a long time discreet in the media, he finally wrote a message Tuesday, November 12, transmitted by his relatives. "Keep fighting, we can not let the spilled blood lead to nothing," he wrote.

Solidarity events

A demonstration was held on November 12 in Santiago in front of the presidential palace of La Moneda to question the subject of the eborgnés. Some protesters have gone out of their way in solidarity with the wounded.

Two athletes from the country, Iván León and Cristián Araya, from the national badminton team, joined the support demonstrations. Both champions paid tribute to the victims. With a Mapuche flag in the background, they posed with their Chilean team uniform covering themselves with an eye.

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#ArengaFrases Los doblistas y medallistas suramericanos en Bádminton, sumaron de los deportistas que han sacado la voz en este estallido social y le hicieron emotivo homenaje a aquellos que han perdido la visión en las manifestaciones social. What opinion of this gesture, nietos?

A publication shared by La Arenga del Abuelo (@arengadelabuelo) on Nov. 11, 2019 at 4: 03 PST

"It's a tribute to those who suffer from repression, for those who have lost an eye or even two, for asking for dignity for our people," they told a local media. The football team has announced the cancellation of a friendly match against Peru in solidarity with the Chilean people.

An "emergency mission" in Chile, promoted by the European parliamentary group United Left concluded that the country suffered from "repressive parameters similar to those applied during the last three years of the Pinochet dictatorship".

Debate for the ban

In response, eight opposition MPs tabled a bill on Monday, Nov. 11, to ban the use of riot ammunition: "They are not supposed to be firearms, but they are used against rioters [...] and cause serious damage, "said Cristina Girardi, of the center-left party PPD, one of the eight MPs behind the bill.

"I think that kind of weapons should be banned against protesters, who have only stones and bits of wood, why have a rifle?" Wonders Ybar.

Representatives of the Chilean government defended police action before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) at a hearing in Ecuador on November 11, while pledging to "limit" the use of rifle rifles.

The only concession, the Minister of Health, Jaime Mañalich, announced the implementation of the global eye repair program, to ensure free healthcare for people wounded in the eyes by non-lethal munitions fired by the police.

"If the Minister of Health says they will take care of the injuries, that's a good thing. Especially this type of injury is very expensive for the victim, "said Ybar. "But it's easy to say, we have to see if they will actually do it," he adds, suspicious.

The movement is holding

At least 20 people have died since the beginning of the Chilean crisis, including five after the intervention of the police, and more than 2,000 have been wounded, according to official figures.

Despite this, nearly a month after the start of this unprecedented social explosion in this South American country, the protesters are holding on.

Ybar chose to stay away from the protests. He prefers to contribute in his own way by testifying to what is happening to spread a truth that "the Chilean government is trying to hide."

"We hope they finally hear the truth of the people. We do not ask for gifts just that our rights are respected. "