Chile declares state of emergency amid looting and arson in capital

President Sebastián Piñera of Chile declared a state of emergency in the capital after protests against public transportation fare hikes devolved into looting and arson targeting subway stations, banks and buses Friday night.

The demonstrations began earlier this week as a campaign by high school students, who jumped subway turnstiles to protest the second fare increase this year. But Friday night, demonstrators set fire to a dozen subway stations, several banks, buses and the headquarters of the country’s largest electricity provider, Enel Looters stormed into supermarkets, stores and pharmacies.

One student was reported to have been killed by the police and another was wounded by rubber bullets during the demonstrations, which rattled one of Latin America’s most prosperous and orderly capitals.

The state of emergency declared by Piñera imposes restrictions on citizens’ right to move about and assemble freely, and it gives the army authority over internal security. Speaking from the presidential palace around midnight, he said the measure was needed to restore order after the chaos caused by protesters, whom he called “delinquents.”

The fare increase unleashed fury when it was announced Oct 6, coming at a time when the cost of living for poor and middle-class families has been rising while wages remain stagnant.

“Everything that is going on is so unfair, because everything is going up: transportation fares, electricity, gas, everything, and salaries are so low,” said Isabel Mora, an 82-year-old retiree who receives a monthly pension of about $62.

Piñera had announced earlier in the week that he would try to find ways to mitigate rising transportation costs. With the fare hike, rush hour rides now cost about $1.20.

On Friday afternoon, as hundreds of people stormed into subway stations without paying, the protests spilled into the streets. Special police units barged into stations and deployed tear gas, beat up demonstrators and violently dragged people from subway cars to take them into custody.

The subway system suspended service for several lines, and by nighttime it had been forced to shut down the entire network. Hundreds if not thousands of people were left stranded on the streets. Unable to board overflowing buses, many had to walk for hours to get home.

Government officials called the demonstrators “organised vandals” and “criminals” and announced that they would enforce an internal security law that gives the state the authority to impose higher penalties for crimes.

Residents in the capital banged pots and pans throughout the city Friday night. As people looted supermarkets and set up barricades, the police appeared to have retreated to their stations.

The protests occurred as Chile prepares to host two major international conferences: an APEC summit meeting in mid-November and the UN Climate Change Conference in December.

© 2019 New York Times News Service