A student is blinded by pellets shot by the police in protests

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A 21-year-old university student became the first Chilean to be totally blinded by pellets shot by riot agents during protests that have been hitting the South American country for more than a month, a medical report said Tuesday.

Gustavo Gatica , a psychology student, was injured while taking pictures at a demonstration on November 8 in Plaza Italia - the center of the protests in Santiago - which was attended by some 75,000 people. The young man was transferred to the Santa María clinic , in the Providencia neighborhood, where it was first determined that he had lost the vision of one of the eyes and that the other was in danger.

"The severity of their injuries determines that their condition is permanent bilateral zero vision," said the medical report released by the clinic. The medical diagnosis means that the young man has "total blindness , " a clinic source confirmed to AFP.

The young man was discharged from the Santa María Clinic, but "will maintain outpatient controls, which include kinesiological, occupational therapy, psychological and psychiatric support. In addition, he will be monitored over the next few weeks by a multidisciplinary team of specialists," the statement added.

The director of Human Rights of the Police, Karina Sosa , said they felt very much about the situation of the student, and pledged the collaboration of Carabineros in the investigation of this case carried out by Chilean justice.

The case of Gatica became a symbol among the more than 200 people who suffered eye injuries, many of them with the loss of sight in one eye by pellets and pellets shot with riot shotguns by the police in the protests that began on the 18th last October.

On Tuesday the Human Rights Watch Organization (HRW) found "serious" violations of human rights by police forces and recommended reforming the institution. Previously, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and Amnesty International agreed that there were violations by police.

"For Gustavo and all the young people who have lost their vision through agents of the State, we demand the departure of General (Mario) Rozas - director of the Police Department - and the end of the repression. We insist: they are not isolated facts, it is a State policy ", said a message from the University Academy of Christian Humanism, in which Gatica studies.

Although the police announced last week the cessation of the use of pellets, the Chilean Red Cross reported that it has continued to treat people injured by these elements during the protests.

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