Social protest invades Piñera and adds Chile to a serious crisis | Internationale

The Chilean political class is facing one of the biggest challenges since the return of democracy in 1990 after the social breakdown of last Thursday, caused by the rising price of the metro and fueled by more social unrest. large. In these times of emergency, while the authorities are trying to give some signs of unity to calm the crisis, the demonstration, neither peaceful nor violent, does not stop. At least 11 people have died since the start of violent altercations in this country of South America. In addition, the main Chilean trade union, the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT), as well as other organizations, has called for a general strike for Wednesday.

The event has spread to different cities of Chile. The capital and four other areas are under military control, after decreeing the state of emergency. On Sunday, when the three state powers met in La Moneda to try to find together a way out of a conflict, street protests continued and protesters appeared immune to the attacks. attempts by their leaders.

The challenge for the political class is capitalized in a country where 49% of citizens and democratic institutions such as the government, Congress and parties have a minimum score. In Congress, with an opposition majority, parliamentarians in the Chamber of Deputies approved Monday the bill to suspend the increase in metro rates, announced the day before by President Sebastián Piñera. The Senate did it this afternoon. But aside from this measure, La Moneda has not announced any specific program that can help end the conflict, at least in part. The statements of the president, who did not focus on the malaise of his compatriots who exploded the conflict that provoked acts of vandalism, did not contribute to calm and a political solution: " We are at war with a powerful enemy, ready to use violence without any limit, "he said of the violent who destroyed much of Santiago's underground network, looted supermarkets and commercial premises or torched dozens of buses, creating a climate of chaos in different parts of the country.

The former President of Chile and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, on Monday called in Piñera: "I urge the government to work with all sectors of society to find solutions that help calm the situation respond to the grievances of the population in the interest of the nation, "said the socialist, who led the country between 2006 and 2010, then between 2014 and 2018." The use of incendiary rhetoric will only make the situation worse. "

But the recent center-left governments have also failed to appease the malaise of the incubating society for years and, like Piñera, they are barely elected, they are gradually losing popularity and support, as this was the case for Bachelet herself, in particular. second term The social unrest that has occurred since at least 2006, when the first student demonstrations erupted, has so far been channeled by no political force with congressional representation. Neither by the broad Left Front, whose main leaders were the student leaders who led the mobilizations of 2011.

According to Senate President Jaime Quintana, the country's second political authority, "it has been difficult for the opposition to find a common look" during the early days of riots. Beginning, he explains, because there was no agreement on the decision of the president to transfer control of cities to the army: "This Monday, it is clear that the center-left can not place the government as a prerequisite for dialogue. file the state of emergency, "said Quintana, of the PPD opposition party. The senator says that the vast majority of Chileans want to return to normal despite claims of inequality. All political groups must unite: "categorically, as an opposition, we are not trying to destabilize the government of Piñera, which should urgently be supported and announce a social agenda that includes immediate benefits. "