What’s Really Happening in Chile? An Inside Perspective On The 2019 Protests

The following article has been written by a connection that has close friends and family members in Chile, revealing what has actually been happening inside the Country.

Chile is one of the most prosperous countries in South America but the income gap is one of the widest in the continent. What does this mean in practice? It means that a very small percentage of people belong to an extremely wealthy upper class whereas most people belong to middle or low-income classes of the society. About half of workers in Chile have to get by with an income of 400.00 Chilean pesos, which is around 550 USD, and many are working several jobs at the same time in order to make a (somewhat) sufficient living. Chile has grown wealthier fairly quickly over the past few decades but most of the money finds its way to the pockets of those who are already wealthy.

A Problematic System

People can’t afford to live in Chile. Food and other essential goods cost more than they do on average in Europe. Health care has been privatized and it is more expensive than in many welfare states in Europe (for example, three times more costly than in Germany). Electricity costs are double compared to the other countries in South America. The education system one of the most expensive ones in the world, and of the low-income class only 11% graduate from college, whereas in the case of the upper class that percentage is as high as 84%. Public transport, which is often the only option for the low-income class, is the 9th most expensive in the world (set in proportion to the country’s wage level) and it takes up to 30% of low-income salaries.

Chileans Propelled into Action

The very last straw, that propelled Chile to where they are now, was the rise of the already expensive metro tickets in the capital, Santiago. College students started to protest against the new prices, and in a short time, the demonstrations had spread across the country as people took the chance to protest against all of the problems and the unjustness of the system that has caused them suffering for years. A phrase that describes the situation well is “It’s not about the 30 pesos [the rise of the metro prices, about 0,04 USD], it’s about the last 30 years.” This makes reference to the time between the end of the country’s dictatorship and today. During this time Chile has grown wealthier and developed noticeably and poverty is down to 6,7%, but the wealth keeps accumulating in the pockets of the rich elite class. The elite class usually doesn’t pay proper taxes, while most of the country struggles to make it until the end of the month.

Measures and Countermeasures

Demonstrations started out as peaceful protests but the situation escalated quickly. Many see the big supermarket chains as a symbol of the system’s unjustness because the products are expensive, and, through those chains, the money they worked hard for finds its way to the wealthy elite. Therefore, many supermarkets all across the country have been robbed and even burned down and people have died in the middle of the actions. Still, the protests are mostly peaceful and non-violent.

The president of Chile, Sebastian Piñera, announced in his speech that the country is in a war against an enemy that shows no mercy and respect. He declared a state of emergency, sending police and military forces to calm down the situation. His actions didn’t have the effect he had been hoping for, quite contrary: the streetscape and the atmosphere started to remind people of the times of the country’s military dictatorship. As if all that hadn’t been enough, the president also declared a curfew in many cities in the country which is something the former dictator, Augusto Pinochet, used to get rid of his political opponents without witnesses. This time, though, people are not afraid anymore and they keep protesting in spite of the curfew.

Violence, Censorship, and Propaganda In Chile

The news media in Chile broadcast propaganda news and numbers in a desperate attempt to control the situation. The news show extremely violent images from the streets which is meant to scare people to stay at home instead of joining the protests. But those images do not display the true situation, and in some cases, they have even used actors to create those violent clips.

The news never features the violent actions carried out by the police and the military troops. The latest official number of deaths is 18 (10:00 PM UTC +0, 23th October 2019) but this is a propaganda number and does not include the number of people killed by the police and the military. Social media is the only way Chileans can spread knowledge about what’s really going on, but even these media outlets are censored: many pictures and videos featuring the violent actions of the police and the military forces are often quickly deleted. In many of them, you can even see the police opening fire towards peaceful, unarmed protestors or groundlessly assaulting them.

Chileans are demanding the president’s resignation and changes in the constitution, and the political leaders are trying to control the situation by force. All we can do is hope that they can find a peaceful solution that satisfies everybody, support our Chilean friends and family members, and spread the word about what’s really going on in Chile.

#chiledesperto

#fuerzachile