Chile’s streets are filled with protests. How did a 4 percent fare hike set off such rage?
On Oct. 6, Chile’s government hiked subway fares — and citizens launched massive street protests that show no sign of waning. On Friday, an estimated 1 million people joined a peaceful march in the capital, Santiago. Other protests have been violent, with arson, looting, at least 20 deaths and several-hundred injured. Although President Sebastián Piñera canceled the fare hike and agreed to replace cabinet members as demanded, protesters escalated their demands with new protests, more violence, and calls to rewrite the Pinochet-era constitution.
Why a 4 percent transit fare hike sent people to the streets
Most observers point to economic inequality to explain the widespread protests.… Seguir leyendo »