Possible Color Revolution Beginning in Chile

Chile President Pinera declares emergency as capital rocked by riots
A subway ticket office is seen on fire during a protest against the increase in the subway ticket prices in Santiago, Chile, October 19, 2019 REUTERS/Ramon Monroy
A subway ticket office is seen on fire during a protest against the increase in the subway ticket prices in Santiago, Chile, October 19, 2019 REUTERS/Ramon Monroy

October 18, 2019 - SANTIAGO - Chile’s President Sebastian Pinera declared a state of emergency in the capital Santiago early on Saturday, as the city of 6 million descended into chaos amid riots that left a downtown building engulfed in flames and its metro system shuttered.

Black-hooded protesters enraged by recent fare hikes on public transportation lit fires at several metro stations, looted shops, burned a public bus and swung metal pipes at train station turnstiles during Friday’s afternoon commute, according to witnesses, social media and television footage.

Pinera spoke to the nation in the early hours of Saturday, declaring an emergency lockdown as sirens filled the night air downtown, and police and firefighters rushed to contain the damage.

The center-right Pinera said he would invoke a special state security law to prosecute the “criminals” responsible for the city-wide damage, while at the same time saying he sympathized with those impacted by the rate hikes.

“In the coming days, our government will call for a dialogue ... to alleviate the suffering of those affected by the increase in fares,” Pinera said in the broadcast address.

Chile is one of Latin America’s wealthiest nations, but also, among its most unequal. Frustrations over the high cost of living in Santiago have become a political flashpoint, prompting calls for reforms on everything from the country’s tax and labor codes to its pension system.

Enel Chile, a subsidiary of Italian utility Enel, said vandals had set fire to the company’s high-rise corporate headquarters downtown. Local television footage showed flames climbing up the side of the building as fire crews struggled to break through growing crowds of protesters. The company said in a statement posted on Twitter that workers had been evacuated safely from the site.

High school and university students began the protests after the government hiked fares on Oct. 6 to as much as $1.17 for a peak metro ride, blaming higher energy costs and a weaker peso.

The protests turned increasingly violent on Friday afternoon, however, and by early evening, officials had closed down all of the city’s 136 metro stations, which connect more than 87 miles of track.

The metro system will remain closed through the weekend, with officials saying “serious destruction” made it impossible to operate trains safely.

Demonstrators clanging pots and honking horns clashed with police armed with batons and tear gas all across the normally subdued city late into Friday evening.

Metro management said there had been more than 200 incidents on Santiago’s subway system in the previous 11 days, mostly involving school children and older students jumping barriers and forcing gates.

Earlier on Friday, after a meeting with the metro chief and interior minister, Transport Minister Gloria Hutt told reporters the fare hike would not be reversed. She said the government subsidizes almost half the operating costs of the metro, one of Latin America’s most modern.

“This is not a discussion that should have risen to the level of violence that we’ve seen,” she said.
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Chile president declares state of emergency after violent protests
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Violent clashes escalated as night fell, and the ENEL power company building and a Banco Chile branch, both in the city center, were set on fire. (File/AFP)

October 19, 2019 - SANTIAGO, Chile: Chile’s president declared a state of emergency in Santiago Friday night and gave the military responsibility for security after a day of violent protests over increases in the price of metro tickets.

“I have declared a state of emergency and, to that end, I have appointed Major General Javier Iturriaga del Campo as head of national defense, in accordance with the provisions of our state of emergency legislation,” President Sebastian Pinera said.

Throughout Friday, protesters clashed with riot police in several parts of the city and the subway system was shut after attacks on several stations.

Violent clashes escalated as night fell, and the ENEL power company building and a Banco Chile branch, both in the city center, were set on fire and several metro stations hit with Molotov cocktails.

Pinera slammed the protesters as criminals. “This desire to break everything is not a protest, it’s criminal,” he said in a radio interview.

On Thursday, 133 people had been arrested for causing damage to metro stations, estimated at up to 500 million pesos ($700,000).
 
Just a reflection - on the sudden escalation in the protests and violence - a regional summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation is scheduled for 11-17 November in Santiago de Chile. APEC Summit 2019

President's Putin, Xi, Trump and many other's will be attending this Regional Summit. There is a real possibility that Trump will be able to have a side meeting with Putin. The neo-cons and war hawks in the U.S. are in total panic - at just the thought of the two of them getting together? I sense, there might be "outside interference" hoping to cancel or delay the Summit?

Troops on streets of Chilean capital Santiago after state of emergency announced
Burned busses are pictured after a protest against the increase in subway ticket prices in Santiago, Chile, October 19, 2019 REUTERS/Edgard Garrido
Burned busses are pictured after a protest against the increase in subway ticket prices in Santiago, Chile, October 19, 2019 REUTERS/Edgard Garrido

October 19, 2019 - Troops were patrolling the streets of the Chilean capital Santiago on Saturday morning, the military confirmed, after President Sebastian Pinera evoked a state of emergency amid a surge in violent protests over a hike in public transport fares.

Javier Iturriaga del Campo, the general designated in charge by Pinera, told a news conference at Santiago’s Moneda presidential palace in the early hours of Saturday that his troops would focus their patrols on “the most conflict-hit areas” but would impose no curfew “for now.”

“The recommendation for people is that they can go home to be with their families and be calm,” he said.

“We are assuming control, deploying our forces in a way that we can prevent continuing acts of vandalism and having a better sense in the morning of what is happening.”

The announcement by a grim-faced Pinera shortly after midnight came after 12 hours of intense unrest in the city center, where protesters clashed with police who used tear gas and water cannons, according to the interior ministry, witnesses and television footage.

Sporting and cultural events have been canceled for the weekend, the metro network remains closed and foreign embassies have updated their security advisories for expatriates and visitors, urging them to avoid crowds and carry identification.

In just over three weeks, Chile is due to host U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping along with many others for a regional summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. Weeks later it will host other world leaders for the COP25 United Nations climate change summit.

The decision to deploy the military was met with widespread shock in a nation that lived under a military dictatorship for 17 years until 1990.

Political commentators and opposition parties have lambasted the response by Pinera’s government to the protests, which started on Oct. 7 and have grown in intensity amid widespread discontent over the high cost of basic goods and utilities.
 

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Ft quietly published this seemingly random interview at the presidential palace in santiago just 3 days ago.

Determined to preserve his country’s reputation as a beacon of stability and sound economic management in a continent not famous for either, Chile’s billionaire president Sebastián Piñera defines himself as a committed crusader against populism. His fight is an increasingly solitary one.

Latin America’s two biggest economies, Brazil and Mexico, are governed by populists of the right and left respectively; neighbouring Argentina looks set to eject Mr Piñera’s close ally Mauricio Macri and return to Peronism in elections at the end of this month; and pro-reform presidents in Peru and Ecuador are fighting for their political lives.

...

The president also hopes to raise Chile’s traditionally low diplomatic profile: he will host the Apec summit of Asia-Pacific economic powers next month and wants to make the case for open markets and try to end the “absurd” trade war between the US and China

In December, Chile will host another big international meeting, this time the UN climate conference known as COP 25 (it secured the meeting after Brazil’s tempestuous rightwing leader Jair Bolsonaro pulled out) and Mr Piñera sees it an opportunity to tout the nation’s environmental credentials.

Chile was one of the first countries to commit to carbon neutrality by 2050 and Mr Piñera hopes that this year’s UN summit will see “much more ambitious and much more verifiable commitments than those reached [at the last conference] in Paris”. These should include binding pledges to protect the world’s oceans and forests, as well as the activation of global market mechanisms for environmental protection.
...
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Interesting timing all things considered as very little tends to happen in Chile and just before the big meeting where Piñera (having delusions of grandeur) wants to save the world and stop climate change and stop the trade war to boot.

Interesting comments below that one too. It is true that the country sees itself as the Europe of Latin America, and wants all the perks that go with that, despite having a GDP per capita far, far lower than say France or other Western European countries.
 
Well, in the end there will be a curfew, about two minutes to start and there was not a large setback of protesters in some sectors and still show others totally safe ... there is an agenda in part as usual (I get the rumor for part of a friend of my brother that the fire in Enel was caused by people who were not among the protesters or hooded, but take it with tweezers) ... the antisocials always take advantage of the situation "to have fun" and steal appliances mainly. ... banks and buildings of economic newspapers have been burned, even so far firefighters have been allowed free passage by hooded men who cooperate even to remove barricades to pass (firefighters here are not paid and even now these have not put out barricades) in general there is much frustrated discontent in this cowardly country and the bubble seems partly broken ... it all started as an attack and rejection of chaos, but the movement and spirit of revolution is accompanied ... as the joke is that the joker movie influenced this movement.

pd: follow both peaceful and violent demonstrations found despite the curfew ... the media do not stop referring to the lack of uniformed personnel.
 
Carl said:

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Interesting comments below that one too. It is true that the country sees itself as the Europe of Latin America, and wants all the perks that go with that, despite having a GDP per capita far, far lower than say France or other Western European countries.
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Yes, they have sold us that we are the country with the most inequality in the world statistically and that they always exploit us, we are constantly told that we are the most developed country in Latin America, but that this is not expressed in the quality of life since money they take a few and that the people of the Senate are among the people with the highest salaries worldwide with respect to this sector ... it is interesting how things happened and everything would be attached to this discontent and the "movie" ... but in addition to finally exploiting this bubble(and in part he did it because there is a lot of peaceful adherence) the movement so violent and that has withdrawn at the country level has never been seen, the orchestration in part is very possible taking advantage mainly of latent discontent and using small incendiary groups that are not repelled or detained by the rest of the protesters that circulate.
 
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This is really chaotic, and great uncertainty is taking over people.

I live in Santiago and at least where I live the very large supermarket that caters to a large sector of the local population was completely looted, also partly burned. The Santiago Subway that cover all the city is practically collapsed, and the authorities are proposing cohercive measures with a threatening tone, that the only thing they are doing is provocate to more people, who are with a very challenging mood. I don't know in what this is going to end, and the only thing I can say is this is coming to a distressing point.
 
What a day and night. Started peaceful, then the violent protests started up midday. The remaining public transport via buses was suspended after 5 buses were torched. Santiago is now without any public transport. Monday morning, how will millions of Metro and bus users get to work or get to the medical clinic? Not to mention, many comunas in Santiago have cancelled classes so these workers already in a precarious position of figuring out how they will get to work have to also deal with out of school kids. Also, the two largest supermarket chains have closed all their stores in Santiago due to the looting.

Very troubling and now getting scary is the spread to other cities. Protests popped up in Iquique, La Serena, Coquimbo, Viña, Valpo, San Antonio, Rancagua, Talca, Chillan, Punta Arenas getting violent in Valpo which is now also under curfew. In my town, a local supermarket began burning at the end of a demonstration. My best guess for how all this happened was the collaboration of Santiago protesters with the nationwide network of activist worker unions.

As darkness arrived, the looting and vandalism expanded and now includes cities outside of Santiago.

9000 more troops have been called up with 1500 more to be deployed in Santiago which initially started with 500 the previous night.

There are people stuck at the airports due to cancelled or rescheduled flights having paid $50 to get there because cheap public transport is now nonexistent only to find their flight is cancelled or rescheduled and now it is too late to return to the city because of the curfew assuming they want to pay another $50 to get back. Supposedly, some of the flight problems are because the crews can't get to the airport.

After watching how things played out this past day and night, this is far from ending and will not be an appealing place to hold APEC or COP.

I will have to start thinking about various escape plans if it gets really bad.
 
on_strike_usaexpat said:
What a day and night. Started peaceful, then the violent protests started up midday. The remaining public transport via buses was suspended after 5 buses were torched. Santiago is now without any public transport. Monday morning, how will millions of Metro and bus users get to work or get to the medical clinic? Not to mention, many comunas in Santiago have cancelled classes so these workers already in a precarious position of figuring out how they will get to work have to also deal with out of school kids. Also, the two largest supermarket chains have closed all their stores in Santiago due to the looting.

Very troubling and now getting scary is the spread to other cities. Protests popped up in Iquique, La Serena, Coquimbo, Viña, Valpo, San Antonio, Rancagua, Talca, Chillan, Punta Arenas getting violent in Valpo which is now also under curfew. In my town, a local supermarket began burning at the end of a demonstration. My best guess for how all this happened was the collaboration of Santiago protesters with the nationwide network of activist worker unions.

As darkness arrived, the looting and vandalism expanded and now includes cities outside of Santiago.

9000 more troops have been called up with 1500 more to be deployed in Santiago which initially started with 500 the previous night.

There are people stuck at the airports due to cancelled or rescheduled flights having paid $50 to get there because cheap public transport is now nonexistent only to find their flight is cancelled or rescheduled and now it is too late to return to the city because of the curfew assuming they want to pay another $50 to get back. Supposedly, some of the flight problems are because the crews can't get to the airport.

After watching how things played out this past day and night, this is far from ending and will not be an appealing place to hold APEC or COP.

I will have to start thinking about various escape plans if it gets really bad.
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That's getting very very serious. Stay safe.

Seems like the military may have to become much more aggressive if they want to put an end to this.
 
Been monitoring this outlet Radio Boi Boi. Not saying it's a good source, but the station is taking calls from the Chilean people, discussing events in their district. Lots of chaos. Hope too all, a safe passage!



Radio Bío-Bío Valparaíso 94.5 / Bío-Bío Santiago 99.7 / Radio Bío-Bío Temuco 88 / Radio Bío-Bío Osorno 106.5 / Radio Bío-Bío Valdivia 88.9 / Radio Bío-Bío Puerto Montt 49.9 / Radio Bío-Bío Los Ángeles 96.7

00ac3ec04ae3555c8174d343a7a9a6ad.png


https://twitter.com/x/status/1185768202007121920

https://twitter.com/x/status/1185379758416318464

https://twitter.com/x/status/1185744513928761344
When we have a @GobiernodeChile and a cowardly right happens what we see today ... The far left took Chile while you made love to them ... Put on your pants and tell the president that he has no authority ..
 
Carl said:
That's getting very very serious. Stay safe.

Seems like the military may have to become much more aggressive if they want to put an end to this.
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The problem is that here the issue of the military is something very particular and delicate, and that's because the image of the military in the streets to many people, is especially relatives of family members of detainees/disappeared, makes them violent, because of what happened at the time of Pinochet dictatorship, and although they have acted with violence in some sectors, the real danger of violence is now transferred to the people.
 
c.a. said:
Been monitoring this outlet Radio Boi Boi. Not saying it's a good source, but the station is taking calls from the Chilean people, discussing events in their district. Lots of chaos. Hope too all, a safe passage!



Radio Bío-Bío Valparaíso 94.5 / Bío-Bío Santiago 99.7 / Radio Bío-Bío Temuco 88 / Radio Bío-Bío Osorno 106.5 / Radio Bío-Bío Valdivia 88.9 / Radio Bío-Bío Puerto Montt 49.9 / Radio Bío-Bío Los Ángeles 96.7

00ac3ec04ae3555c8174d343a7a9a6ad.png


https://twitter.com/x/status/1185768202007121920

https://twitter.com/x/status/1185379758416318464

https://twitter.com/x/status/1185744513928761344
When we have a @GobiernodeChile and a cowardly right happens what we see today ... The far left took Chile while you made love to them ... Put on your pants and tell the president that he has no authority ..
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those videos are exaggerations in most cases and taken out of context (by minelians and people who simply hate the armed forces as considered lap dogs massacring their own people), there have been undeniably violent acts and certain negligence, but in general the military and law enforcement proceed with caution since the assassination if not supported in part will prove nothing but the wrath of the country and that is something they do not want at all.
 
https://twitter.com/x/status/1185760552687165442
This rebellion is against theft, against abuse, against the looting of the Chilean people. Let's understand that the enemy is the neoliberal system and those who support it. Live #Chile
Line 2
The abuse of looters, who do not work and steal from those who get up early, these cowards of lefts organized as a criminal gang, destroying the work of thousands of Chilean families, death to Maduro and all communist satrap!

https://twitter.com/x/status/1185812375158571008
Because they have been parliamentarians for more than 30 years ... With millionaire salaries -Because you did not pay contributions -Because you robbed a bank For our pensioners For our students. I quit #LaCubillos

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Updated 1214 GMT (2014 HKT) October 19, 2019
Chilean President Sebastián Piñera declared a state of emergency in a televised address to the nation on Friday after days of violent protests in the country's capital.

Hundreds have taken to the streets of Santiago and surrounding cities in recent days to protest against the rising cost of public transport, vandalizing metro stations and even setting an electrical company building on fire.

"The objective of this state of emergency is very simple, but very profound," Piñera said, "it's to ensure public order, bring peace to Santiago and protect public and private property."

Piñera condemned this week's violence and looting, saying that because of currency exchange fluctuations, it was necessary to raise the price of public transport. But he added that he sympathized with those who were bearing the cost of the rises.

Protesters burn an entrance to Santa Lucia metro station in Santiago on Friday.

"In the coming days, our government will call for a dialogue ... to alleviate the suffering of those affected by the increase in fares," Pinera said in the broadcast address, according to Reuters.

The President said that under special state security laws, those who caused the damage across the city would be prosecuted, the news agency added.

At least 180 people were detained and 57 police officers were injured in Friday's protests, according to the Chilean Police Director General, Mario Rozas.

Rozas said civilians were also injured during the protests, but he did not give a number.

During the same news conference, the mayor of Santiago's metropolitan area, Karla Rubilar Barahona said that the destruction of the metro stations was "massive."
CNN's Peter Wilkinson wrote from London.
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Balance: Carabineros says there are 308 detainees, 156 injured and 11 complaints of civilians injured Santiago, Región Metropolitana - Latin America news on the map - latam.liveuamap.com

Balance: Carabineros says there are 308 detainees, 156 injured and 11 complaints of civilians injured. Explore Latin America news with liveuamap.com
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