200 Chileans Lose Eyesight During Protests, Govt Agrees for a Referendum

Chile Protests that began as students protested against increased subway fare have escalated to such heights that nearly 200 Chileans’ eyesight has been damaged due to pellets fired by the Government Security Agents.

Crux of the Matter

1. Chileans are protesting against inequality. There is a call for massive reforms in the job, education, and health, sectors and the pension scheme.

2. As much as 2,500 people have been injured and 20 killed since the protests began. Nearly 200 people have lost or damaged their eyesights on account fo the pellets fired by the Security Agents.

3. Chile’s President Sebastian Pinera is taking hard action against the police and security agents that violated the basic human rights of the citizens through excessive violation and harassment.

4. For the demand for a new constitution, the government has agreed to a referendum that will take place in the month of April next year. Many view this as a turnaround from the clutches of dictatorship since more involvement of citizens is anticipated.

Curiopedia

The 2019 Chilean protests are ongoing civil protests throughout Chile in response to a raise in the Santiago Metro’s subway fare, the increased cost of living, privatization and inequality prevalent in the country. The protests began in Chile’s capital, Santiago, as a coordinated fare evasion campaign by secondary school students which led to spontaneous takeovers of the city’s main train stations and open confrontations with the Chilean Police. On 18 October, the situation escalated as organized bands of protesters rose in rebellion across the city, seizing many stations of the Santiago Metro network and disabling them with extensive infrastructure damage, ultimately disabling the network in its entirety. In total, 81 stations have been damaged, with 17 burned down. On the same day, President of Chile Sebastián Piñera announced a state of emergency, authorizing the deployment of Chilean Army forces. Protests and riots have expanded to other cities, including Concepción, San Antonio, and Valparaíso. As of 26 October, 19 people have died, nearly 2,500 have been injured, and 2,840 have been arrested. Human rights organisations have received several reports of violations conducted against protesters by security forces, including torture, sexual abuse and rape. Read More

Curated Coverage

1. DW – Hundreds of Chileans blinded by police since protests began

2. Al Jazeera – Chile agrees to hold referendum on constitution: 5 things to know

3. The New York Times – In Win for Protesters, Chile to Vote on Replacing Constitution

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