2019 Chilean State of Emergency

The 2019 Chilean State of Emergency refers to unfolding civil protests and various acts of violence throughout Chile in response to a rise in the Chilean capital's Metro subway fare, inequality, falling wages and the rising cost of education and healthcare.The protests began in Chile's capital, Santiago, as a coordinated fare evasion campaign by high school students which quickly led to the destruction of several subway stations in Santiago and open confrontations with the Chilean Police and Army. President Sebastián Piñera declared a state of emergency on October 19th, with curfews issued in several cities. The protests have several times turned violent, with open clashes with police and army units. Police have used tear gas, water cannon, and rubber bullets. Looting have also taken place and supermarkets, petrol stations and the high-rise headquarters of a major energy firm were set on fire during October. During the riots, many civilians from the Santiago suburbs rushed to defend local supermarkets, after vigilante groups called for volunteers to guard against rioters. Many ordinary civilians were armed, with a variety of improvised weapons, steel pipes, baseball bats, and air rifles.

Start of the crisis

The protests began as a student-led demonstration against transport fares. In early October, the government announced that the metro rush hour prices would rise by 0.30 pesos ($US 0.04). Outrage grew after the price increase, leading secondary school students to conduct a mass fare evasion by jumping over the subway turnstiles, and, in some instances, destroying them.

Nationwide protests

The unrest reportedly began as a protest over a 4-cent increase in subway fares and soon transformed into a larger movement over growing inequality in one of Latin America’s wealthiest countries.

Tension had already been mounting in the main Chilean cities in the years leading up to the riots: the unemployment rate was about 7,2 percent, a drug epidemic was ravaging the cities, and gang activity and violent crime were high in the working-class suburbs.

Protests erupted again on October 28th despite President Piñera's decision to reshuffle his cabinet. On November 1st, about 1,000 women dressed in black, marched silently through Santiago's streets carrying flowers, calling for justice for the nearly two dozen people who had been killed in the unrest that had gripped Chile for two weeks.

Anarchism

During the night of October 18th, subway stations, supermarkets, and petrol stations were burned throughout Santiago, leading the president to call a state of emergency on October 19th. The New York Times reported "Around the city, flames and smoke mixed with tear gas and water cannon spray as armed forces mobilized on the streets for the first time in almost 30 years in a country that still shudders at the memory of military rule". The Metro subway damage/destruction sustained is estimated to be at least $US 300 million.

On Monday, October 20th, many supermarkets, shopping malls, and cinemas remained closed as the protests continued. Curfews were imposed for that night in the Santiago Metropolitan Region, and the regions of Valparaíso, Biobío (including the regional capital, Concepción), and Coquimbo; as the curfew began in Santiago, many protesters remained on the street. Interior Minister Andrés Chadwick told reporters Monday that 110 supermarkets were looted and 13 buildings were set ablaze, including the head office of electricity firm 'Enel Chile'.

As rioting spread to other parts of the country, states of emergency were declared in the Valparaíso Region and Concepción Province. In an address to the nation in the evening, President Sebastián Piñera announced the cancellation of the fare increase and the establishment of a dialogue panel, with representatives from across society, to discuss the underlying causes behind the unrest. Piñera also warned the country was "at war against a powerful enemy, who is willing to use violence without any limits".

Local authorities also announced the closure of schools on October 21st and 22nd in most suburbs of Santiago and across the province of Concepción. Television coverage of four MOWAG Piraña armored cars from the 1st 'Buin' Regiment firing tear gas canisters repeatedly at roving looters in the affluent suburb of Las Condes was widely seen and controversial.

On October 23, violent protestors from Plaza de Italia under the cover of darkness set off to the Principado de Asturias in the nearby suburb of Providencia and ransacked and destroyed great part of the hotel, after warning staff and foreign tourists to vacate the premises or perish in the resulting flames.

José Miguel Vivanco, Americas director at Human Rights Watch in an interview acknowledged that:

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Prosecutors should also carry out prompt, thorough, and impartial investigations into serious crimes committed by demonstrators in recent days.

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On October 28th, frustrated protesters who had been dispersed from their attempts to march to the La Moneda Presidential Palace, set fire and destroyed the nearby Restaurante La Piccola Italia just 700 metres from their intended target.

On November 4th, violent protesters in the city of Concepción set fire to the 'Caja de Compensación Los Andes' high rise building.

Mob violence

Residents set fires, looted and destroyed liquor stores, grocery stores, retail shops and fast food restaurants. Security forces — both police and military — were clearly targeted; with several nearly pulled out of their van and lynched in the suburb of Maipú on October 18th.

On October 21st, the Argentinian La Nación tv crew covering events in Santiago was set upon by violent protesters, smashing and stealing equipment with cameraman Fabio Soria receiving a deep head wound that required hospitalization.

On October 31st, 947 carabiniers from Chile's 20,000-strong Police force were reported injured in clashes involving violent protesters since the start of the national emergency and resulting acts of vandalism.

Police/Military Mobilization

Chile's 20,000-strong carabinier (Police) force were fully mobilized with officers on 12 hour shifts with convoy patrols, Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm Bo 105 helicopters, street barricades, tactical command centers, and reinforcements from the Anfofogasta based 1st (Desert) Army Infantry Division, the local Santiago Army Garrison and Marines from Carriel Sur.

On the seventh day, 2,000 soldiers of the 21st 'Miller' and 31st 'Aldea' Marine Infantry Battalions and 1,500 Marines of the 41st 'Hurtado' Combat Support and 51st 'Olave' Logistic Support Battalions arrived to reinforce the police forces already in the coastal cities of Valparaíso, Viña del Mar and Talcahuano.It was the first significant amphibious operation by marine troops since the mopping-up operations of Viña del Mar during the 1973 military coup.

In an interview with Tele 13 (T13) on October 29th, General Mario Alberto Rozas-Córdova, commander of the Chilean Police revealed that over 800 carabiniers had sustained injuries maintaining law and order during the nationwide protests with 140 police officers badly wounded in the violence.

Alleged Human Rights violations

Amnesty International was reported to be monitoring very closely the actions of the Chilean authorities since they declared a state of emergency and urged the government to listen to the population’s grievances and take practical measures in response. The organization was reported to have sent an open letter to President Sebastián Piñera on October 20th. “Instead of likening the demonstrations to a ‘state of war’ and calling protestors enemies of the State, stigmatizing them in a generalized way in an attempt to justify abuses against them, President Piñera’s government should listen to them and give a serious response to their legitimate grievances”, said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International.

On October 30th, Jorge Ortiz Silva― a former Marxist guerrilla in the Revolutionary Left Movement and the currently chief of finance officer of the National Human Rights Institute ―was caught feigning serious injury in a staged attack, which the mainstream media had earlier wrongly reported to have been a deliberate attack with several rubber bullets on the INDH official that was supposedly targeted for he was dressed in the corresponding uniform that included an orange vest and yellow helmet.

Yellow Jackets

On October 29th, shop owners in Quillota in central Chile were forced to arm themselves with baseball bats after violent protesters had burnt down great part of the popular 'Feria Modelo del Parque Aconcagua' and nearby branch of 'Banco Scotiabank'.

Deaths and arrests

On October 24th, the Chilean government reported that 18 people had been killed during the demonstrations, the night curfews and various acts of arson. According to the National Human Rights Institute (Instituto Nacional de Derechos Humanos or INDH), five of these fatalities were at the hands of the security forces. The INDH has also reported that some 2,600 people have been detained and 584 injured, 245 of them by firearms.

The next day, the elite police drug squad from the 'Departamento O.S.7 Drogas y Estupefacientes' in a warning of things to come, conducted 12 televised dawn raids in the suburbs of Peñalolén, La Florida, El Bosque, San Bernardo and Puente Alto of Santiago, arresting 7 citizens that were caught in security footage taking part in the first week of looting.

On October 29th, Professor Roberto Campos Weiss from the 'Universidad del Desarrollo' (UDD) became the first citizen formally charged with taking part in the destruction of the Santiago subway network, after video evidence emerged showing him taking part in the destruction of the turnstiles of the San Joaquín Train Station.

On October 30th, 42 televised police raids were conducted in the Santiago suburbs of Quilicura, Talagante, Maipú y Conchalí.In all, 71 citizens that had taken part in the widespread looting throughout Chile were reported to have been apprehended in the police crackdown that day.

Social reform

Santiago City Mayors responded in various ways, including forming vigilante organizations such as the Chalecos Amarillos (Yellow Vests) and increasing efforts to build collaborative links with the working class suburbs through initiatives like the Las Condes-La Pintana Association.

On September 22nd, President Sebastián Piñera, a billionaire conservative who has been criticized for his response to the protests, promised to increase the basic pension by 20% and the minimum wage from $US 413 to $US 482. He also pledged tax rises on high-income earners, a law that would see the state cover the costs of expensive medical treatment and the cancellation of a planned electricity rate hike.

However, protesters rejected President Piñera's political concessions as major demonstrations continued across the country demanding greater equality and constitutional changes.