Crisis in Chile: State of Emergency Declared in Santiago

In Chile’s capital last week, students began protesting rising subway fares by raiding subway stations and evading turnstiles to avoid paying the transport fee. By the end of the week, the protests had turned violent as students began breaking gates, shattering glass, and throwing debris onto the subway rails. Some stations were even set on fire, banks and supermarkets raided, buses ignited, and police vehicles attacked.

On Friday, the Chilean government declared a state of emergency in Santiago and a curfew was put into place Saturday night and Sunday night in an effort to decrease the violent riots and attacks. Many employers canceled the working day today and schools remain closed. So far, 11 deaths have been reported and the President has claimed the country is “at war.” Adding to the current situation of unrest, both San Antonio and Valparaiso ports have gone on strike.

The Chilean office belonging to our partner, Albatrans, is taking every precaution during this troubling time. Our colleagues will be closing the office at 2pm and will be working remotely for the remainder of the afternoon. Our thoughts go out to all those in Santiago, and we hope that this crisis will come to a peaceful resolution very soon.