They Took To The Streets
CHILE — On Oct. 18, 2019, people took to the streets. They abandoned their workplaces and schools to join the demonstrations, chanting EVADE! The tensions had been building since Oct. 7 and finally boiled over. Who knew this turmoil would lead to the Chilean Constitution?
It started because the Chilean subway system had recently implemented a 30-peso increase (equivalent to U.S. 5 cents.) On Oct. 6, the fare increase went into effect. Not expecting the change, high school students who could not afford the increase decided to jump the turnstile to catch their school lift. The police were called and came to arrest students.
Soon after, Chile exploded as grass-root, fare-dodging campaigns sprung up. Authorities closed train stations to control the dodgers, leading to larger clashes, demonstrations, and fires caused by fights between students and the police.
Chilean Constitution: The Cost of Life
This was the latest episode in the ever-increasing cost of living saga. Most Chileans were living far beyond their means and barely getting by. Privatization of industries, specifically in education, gas, health care, and pensions, had put the cost of living far outside the average Chilean’s income.
Large loans placed by citizens against living expenses became commonplace and necessary; 10 to 30-year credit lines were borrowed at high-interest rates. The lower and middle classes were feeling the pressure of making ends meet, with little reprieve in sight. This one extra cost took them over the edge.
As demonstrations intensified, President Piñera declared, “We are at war with a powerful, implacable enemy,” referring to his own citizens.
More than one million Chileans demonstrated against Piñera five days later, demanding his resignation on Oct. 25.
Riots led to armed police fighting students and citizens with tear gas and water cannons.
Demonstrators were met with rubber bullets, causing 2,500 eye and face injuries, some permanently blinded. Nineteen people died that day, 29 by the end of the year.
Police arrested 2,840 people, and some are still in jail, awaiting their hearing one year later.
Boom to Crash
Until recently, the economy was booming for most Chileans. Before 2014, the promise of upward mobility was in sight.
Neo-Liberal policies reduced Chilean poverty from 40 percent to five percent. The working class was willing to “put in their dues” to keep this momentum going. Yet, for the last five years, the financial noose around Chileans’ necks had tightened, and they were now demanding to breathe.
Chilean Constitution and History
To understand Chile’s present, you must understand its past. Here’s a brief rundown:
On Sept. 11, 1973, a “Golpe de Estado” overthrew President Salvador Allende, a democratically elected socialist leader. Who won on the platform of educating and helping the poor, lower class.
President Salvador Allende
The United States injected $10 million to prevent and unseat Allende from holding and maintaining power, backed militarily and financially by Nixon and facilitated by Kissinger.
Four hundred U.S. CIA experts assisted Allende’s army commander in chief, Augusto Pinochet, in creating a coup d’état. (See Project Fubelt and Operation Condor for more details.)
Using a four-man junta posse consisting of the military heads;
The Army, Augusto Pinochet, The Navy, Jose Merino, The Air Force, Gustavo Leigh, and The Carabineros/Police, Cesar Mendoza.
They strong-armed and consolidated power among themselves. Pinochet then took over the government, declaring himself the Republic’s sole de facto Dictator in 1974.
Chilean Constitution and a New Ruler
Augusto Pinochet went on to implement a Neo-Liberal economic model assisted by the Chicago–Boys economists.
Pinochet then began denationalizing industries. During this time, his forces committed massive human rights violations, “disappearing” and placing citizens in concentration camps. He prohibited any political opposition, controlled and limited the press, and ended the elected Congress. He also dismantled unions and forced anyone who resisted into exile or death.
