This archive report was first published on 19 October 2019.
On October 18, 2019, President Sebastián Piñera of Chile declared a state of emergency in the capital after protests against public transportation fare hikes devolved into chaos.
The demonstrations began earlier in the week as a campaign by high school students, who jumped subway turnstiles to protest the second fare increase this year. However, on Friday night, the situation escalated, with demonstrators setting fire to a dozen subway stations, several banks, buses, and the headquarters of the country's largest electricity provider, Enel.
One student was reported to have been killed by the police and another was wounded by rubber bullets during the demonstrations, which rattled one of Latin America's most prosperous and orderly capitals.
Speaking from the presidential palace around midnight, President Piñera said the measure was needed to restore order after the chaos caused by protesters, whom he called 'delinquents.'
The state of emergency imposed restrictions on citizens' right to move about and assemble freely, and gave the army authority over internal security. The president appointed an army general to oversee security operations.
The fare increase, which went into effect on October 6, unleashed fury, coming at a time when the cost of living for poor and middle-class families has been rising while wages remain stagnant.
'Everything that is going on is so unfair, because everything is going up: transportation fares, electricity, gas, everything, and salaries are so low,' said Isabel Mora, an 82-year-old retiree who receives a monthly pension of about $62.
