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Chilean student protest against austerity leads to 35 arrests, injuries
🇲🇽 Mexico /Economy & Trade

Chilean student protest against austerity leads to 35 arrests, injuries

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A student protest against austerity measures in Chile resulted in 35 arrests and six injuries, including a severely wounded university student.
  • Government officials defended the police's actions, stating they responded to situations that escalated, while student organizations denounced disproportionate repression.
  • The protest, organized by the Confederation of Students of Chile, marked the first major demonstration against the government of President José Antonio Kast.

Thousands of students marched through downtown Santiago, protesting austerity measures implemented by President José Antonio Kast's government. The demonstration, organized by the Confederation of Students of Chile (Confech), led to 35 arrests and six injuries, including a female student who sustained severe injuries requiring surgery. Her bloodied face, which went viral on social media, drew criticism, including from Colombian President Gustavo Petro.

the state's duty is to protect all persons, maintain public order and support those who protect Chileans.

— Martín ArrauMinister of Security Martín Arrau defended the police's actions.

The National Institute of Human Rights confirmed the student's serious condition, stating she required surgery. Government officials, however, defended the actions of the Carabineros (militarized police). Minister of Security Martín Arrau stated that the state's duty is to protect citizens and maintain public order, adding that three of those arrested were carrying Molotov cocktails. He asserted that a society aspiring to peace cannot normalize violence or selectively victimize.

A society that aspires to live in peace cannot normalize violence or victimize selectively.

— Martín ArrauMinister of Security Martín Arrau commented on the protest.

Germán Codina, the presidential delegate for the Metropolitan Region of Santiago, echoed this sentiment, stating that the police's behavior was a response to situations that got out of control. The protest was supported by other groups, including the Feminist Coordinator 8M and the College of Teachers, which denounced what they called "disproportionate repression."

the behavior of the carabineros was only a response to situations that got out of control.

— Germán CodinaThe presidential delegate for the Metropolitan Region of Santiago defended the police.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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