Sebastián Piñera: we are at war with a powerful enemy

Chilean President Sebastián Piñera spoke on television on the second night of the curfew and described the brutal world as his country passes: "We are at war with a powerful and implacable enemy, who respects nothing and that he is ready to use violence and crime without limit, that he is ready to burn our hospitals, subway, supermarkets, for the sole purpose of causing as much damage as possible. "

Surrounded by the army, the president declared that "vandals are real criminals", although he understood that "our fellow citizens have the right to demonstrate and that we share many of their concerns and their needs. ".

"I ask all my compatriots to join us in this battle that we can not lose, to help each other to have a normal day tomorrow and finally to start winning this battle."

"We will allow criminals to feel that they own this country," he said.

The worst social epidemic since the return of democracy in Chile nearly three decades ago intensified this Sunday with violent clashes between protesters and security forces and looting that left at least seven people dead and nearly 1500 arrested.

"Let's not kid ourselves. We are facing a real escalation organized to cause serious damage to our country and to the life of every citizen, "said Interior Minister Andres Chadwick in a message to the presidential palace of La La Monnaie. , before Piñera speaks.

The minister confirmed Sunday the death of seven people, all victims of looting: two in the fire of a supermarket and five in a textile factory.

The chaos has spread to Santiago's airport, where hundreds of flights have been canceled. Thousands of people were waiting in the terminals to reprogram their flights, sleeping in the corridors, who began to join those who arrived in the capital and preferred not to move into their homes with a curfew.

The Chilean minister said that 10,500 army and police officers had been deployed throughout the country to try to preserve public order and that, if necessary, this quota would be strengthened.

Students have called for new mobilizations for Monday and a great deal of difficulty is expected in the transfers, during the closure of a large part of the metro because of the damage suffered in 78 of its stations and wagons, for assessed damages more than $ 300 million. President of this public company, Louis de Grange.

The record of these unprecedented social uprisings since the return to democracy in Chile in 1990, added Sunday 70 acts of serious violence, including 40 looting, according to Chadwick, which forced the neighbors to organize to protect their houses.

Two people were also seriously injured by bullet wounds during a military patrol at dawn and the prosecutor's office reported 1,462 detainees throughout Chile.

Before the virulence of the demonstrations and the looting, the authorities decreed a curfew for a second day, although they have advanced the beginning of the measure to 19:00 local (22H00 GMT), in full period of "l & # 39; "State of emergency" which has also been extended in the cities of northern and southern Chile.

"Be calm and be at home," said General Javier Iturriaga, chief of the army in charge of security after the establishment of the state of emergency in Santiago after the beginning of the demonstrations , Friday.

The protests exploded with the increase in the price of the subway ticket – a measure that the government then reversed – and were unimaginable until just a few days ago, when President Sebastián Piñera himself even described his country as "oasis" of stability.

Although the trigger was the increase in the price of the metro, the protests echoed other claims in a company incubated for many years and spread to other cities such as Valparaíso and Concepción.

Under the slogan "Enough of abuse" and with the slogan "ChileDespertó" on social networks, protesters are calling for an economic model in which access to health and education is virtually private, characterized by high social inequality and low pensions. and an increase in basic services.

Source: Infobae / AFP / EFE