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Of: TT
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Photo: Esteban Felix / AP / TT
Police fire tear gas canisters at protesters during protests in the Chilean capital Santiago on March 6. Stock Photography.
Protesters were subjected to serious human rights abuses during massive protests in Chile last year, says Amnesty International, which is demanding an investigation into the responsibility of police chiefs.
An increase in the price of the ticket on the Santiago metro was the spark that set off the historic protests a year ago. Years of frustration over huge income gaps, high costs of living, and a lack of public service spread to millions of protesters across the country.
It wasn’t until the crown’s closing this spring that the protests temporarily ceased. By then, more than 30 people had been killed, 3,000 injured and tens of thousands arrested.
Several thousand criminal complaints have been made about various forms of violence by the police. According to the Chilean institute for human rights INDH, about 400 people suffered eye injuries, often caused by tear gas canisters fired at protesters.
“Acts similar to torture”
Amnesty International has also documented several cases of excessive police violence and serious human rights violations against protesters. This in a new report that examined the actions of the police between October 18 and November 30 of last year.
The police leadership also did not attempt to stop the violence, according to the human rights organization, which concludes that the abuse was made possible by a stated strategy to deter protests.
“Those responsible for the national police allowed acts similar to torture and other abuses against the protesters because they considered it a necessary evil to disperse the crowd at all costs,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Amnesty International’s head for the United States. according to a press release.
Riots and looting
The human rights organization asks Chile to investigate the responsibility of the top police chiefs for the violence.
“All political, administrative and even criminal responsibility must be demanded, up to the highest level. It is about all those who by their position knew or should have realized the scope of the human rights violations and who did not stop them,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas.
The authorities have referred to having to act against protests that in part degenerated into riots and looting that caused great economic damage. The government of President Sebastián Piñera has denied that the police have witnessed violence and that individual cases are duly investigated.
Demonstrations have broken out again in Santiago ahead of the anniversary of the start of the protests on October 18. New tensions have emerged between police and protesters after a teenager fell from a bridge in connection with clashes with security forces in early October.
The case is under investigation.
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