Growing protest in Chile for the increase of the metro …

The Minister of Transport of Chile, Gloria Huttassured that they will not retreat with the rise in the price of the metro from Santiago. The measure caused yesterday a wave of protests across the city. With calls via social networks under the mottoMass escape" thousands of users have jumped the turnstiles. Breaks were also recorded, resulting in a temporary suspension of traffic at several stations. The price of the service in the most expensive section was 830 Chilean pesos (70 Argentine pesos), one of the most expensive in Latin America.

After a meeting at the Palacio de la Moneda, seat of the Chilean government, the Minister of Transport issued a call for incidents yesterday close any possibility of rate revision. "This is not a discussion that must result from the level of violence we have seen," he said. "There is a decision that is already establishedHutt replied, asked if the government planned to re-evaluate the cost of the ticket.

The first claims were made ten days ago with the escape of the ticket payment, skipping the turnstiles. But yesterday, their magnitude and violence increased. The demonstrations began spontaneously featuring students and subway users (as the metro is known in Chile). Then, new demonstrations were generated from the calls launched from social networks. The most used hashtag was #Massive Escape.

On Thursday, five protesters destroyed five wheels at the San Joaquin train station in the populous town of the same name south of the capital. Others sat at the edge of the docks, which affected the train movement. In another episode, about 150 people tried to enter Salvador's central train station. The carabineers were waiting for them there, suppressed with the aid of tear gas. In other stations, the protesters activated the emergency brakes on the cars, which led to a disruption of the flow. In one of the lines, one person took the roads, which resulted in the suspension of service on more than 40% of his route.

The rate hike has not only bothered the users, but also the statements of the Minister of the Economy of Chile, Juan Andrés Fontaine. "Who gets up early can be helped at a lower rate", Commented Fontaine a few days ago. This is because in Santiago de Chile, the earlier you travel, the cheaper the metro prices are. You must also keep in mind that In January of this year, the Chilean government had already authorized another increase in the rates.

President Sebastián Piñera said that if protests continue would enforce the State Security Act. As a result, justice can speed up the prosecution of those accused of public order or domestic security crimes. "In some cases we will implement it because that is what the law provides," Piñera said.

In the day of Friday, calm reigned in the metro stations. In many cases, there was a police custody pending the arrival of protesters. Due to Thursday's events, many users preferred to use buses and other means of transportation. At most stations, the usual number of private security guards has also increased. "They called us to protect the security, although there is little we can do if many protesters arrive"Said a guard, who did not want to give his name. From the subway speakers, they indicate which stations are temporarily closed by the events so that users can plan their trip.

The complaints about the reduction of metro tickets did not come only from the demonstrators. The former presidential candidate also expressed dissatisfaction, Beatriz Sánchez. "Mr. President, is not it time to speak to your cabinet, listen to people, look for solutions, and step back to stimulate transportation?", He wrote on Twitter.