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The social movement in Chile to protest against inequalities and demand profound social reforms has now been going on for almost a month. And it is not without consequences for the economy of the country, which has been idling since the beginning of the demonstrations. The Chilean chambers of commerce say that nearly "200,000 jobs could be destroyed" in the coming weeks, failing to find solutions to the social crisis.
With our correspondent in Santiago, Justine Fontaine
In the center of Santiago, department stores reinforce their iron curtains, for fear of sacking, while Maria Teresa, a podiatrist who works on her own, waits for customers, at the entrance of a shopping mall: " J ' have a lot fewer customers than before, it has dropped by more than 50% in a month. Because people go home directly after work. Indeed, because of the demonstrations, public transport is disrupted and stops earlier.
Bastian has just been fired with 7 other people. He worked in an advertising and events company. " The projects we were working on, and the ones the company applied for, were canceled or postponed," he says. This affected the company's budget, so they removed jobs. "
→ Also to listen: Chile: the protest is mobilized in local citizens assemblies
But some Chileans affected by these economic difficulties do not want the protesters. Manuel Casanova holds a laundry in the city center. His business has dropped by nearly 60% in a month, but the social demands of Chileans, it is the priority, he says: " It is much more important. I prefer that the authorities settle this first, and the shops will be for later. "He has enough to hold 3 or 4 months in these conditions, without firing staff, he says.