Riot police spraying water towards demonstrators taking part in a protest against Chile’s state economic model in Santiago. — Reuters photos
SANTIAGO: Chile was under curfew for the third night in a row Monday as violent protests and looting that left 12 people dead raged on into the working week.
Protests originally against a hike in metro fares have turned into anger at the military and President Sebastian Pinera, who on Monday night proposed a “social agreement” to meet the demands of demonstrators.
Army general Javier Iturriaga, charged with security in the capital, said the 8pm to 6am curfew was “necessary” as Santiago and several other cities were once again gripped by violence.
But in several parts of the capital, protesters defiantly ignored the order and faced off with security forces.
Earlier, a young man died after being hit by a military truck during the looting of a fishing company in the southern city of Talcahuano, the prosecutor’s office said Monday.
Pinera said on Sunday the country was “at war” as five people died when a factory in a Santiago suburb was torched by protesters, and two women also died after a supermarket was set ablaze by looters.
Since Chile’s worst outbreak of social unrest in decades began on Friday, almost 1,500 people have been detained.
Once again on Monday, security forces – some 9,500 of which have been deployed – used tear gas and water cannon on the most unruly demonstrators.
Thousands of protesters gathered peacefully in the main Plaza Italia square in the capital on Monday, chanting “Pinera Out!” and “Get out military!”
Art teacher Camila Rojas, 29, said protesters had many demands, but “Pinera’s resignation is the first thing.”
A fuming Pinera said on Sunday: “We are at war against a powerful, implacable enemy, who does not respect anything or anyone and is willing to use violence and crime without any limits.”
Santiago and nine more of Chile’s 16 regions were under a state of emergency. — AFP