Chile: Fresh nationwide protests planned October 31, November 4 /update 18

Event

Additional protests have been scheduled in the ongoing nationwide mobilization on Thursday, October 31, and on Sunday, November 4. On Thursday, protesters will gather at the Teatro Caupolicán in Santiago as of 15:00 (local time) for a music event and rally in which protests are expected to continue. On Sunday, another group is to gather at the Chimkowe Cultural Center in Peñalolén as of 16:00 for another rally.

Both events are expected to prompt notable transportation disruptions. Related protests in other urban areas are possible, though there may be low turnout due to national holidays on October 31 and November 1. A heightened security presence is to be expected at these events and near related protests.

Teachers have since joined the ongoing nationwide strike on Wednesday, October 30, when they marched with another 70 groups to the Palacio de la Moneda. In addition to other key demands shared by protesters nationwide, teachers are demanding that the government raise their salaries, which they protested for in June and July 2019.

Movement participants have now begun to call for the creation of a new Constitution through a Constituent Assembly in order to replace the current charter of rights (magna carta) which dates back to Pinochet's dictatorship.

Context

Demonstrations began on October 6 after the Chilean government announced an increase in metro and bus fares. The mass protests escalated in Santiago and other cities over the following days to denounce high costs of living, rising electricity prices, the privatization of water, and other social issues. Some estimates indicate that 7000 people have been arrested and 20 people have been killed since the start of the protests. The United Nations announced it would send a mission to Chile in order to investigate claims of human rights abuses during the wave of protests.

Advice

Individuals in Chile, particularly in Santiago, are advised to monitor developments to the situation, avoid all protests due to the risk of violence, prepare for disruptions to transportation and business, and adhere to any instructions issued by the local authorities.