Violent protests broke out in Chile on Saturday as President Michelle Bachelet presented a state-of-the-nation report to Congress.
One man died of asphyxiation after masked demonstrators burned a pharmacy and a supermarket in downtown Valparaiso, which is where the South American nation’s congress meets.
A man wearing a Guy Fawkes mask hawks lemons as a fireman works to put out a fire during the anti-government protest. Some people believe that smearing the citric juice on a cloth and covering their mouth with it will decrease the effects of tear gas. (Estaban Felix/Associated Press)
Local TV broadcast images of smoke rising from different parts of the city. Government spokesman Marcelo Diaz condemned the man’s death in comments to TVN television. The man was identified as 71-year-old Eduardo Lara, who worked as a guard for the municipality.
“Our condolences got to the family of Eduardo Lara. We reject, condemn and are overwhelmed by the fact that the demonstrations ended in the death of a worker,” said Diaz.
A hooded protester waves a stick at an anti-riot vehicle spraying bursts of tear gas in front of a burning building near Congress in Valparaiso, Chile. (Estaban Felix/Associated Press)
The protest began as a peaceful march but turned rough as some demonstrators threw rocks at police and gasoline bombs at buildings. Officers responded with tear gas and high-pressure blasts of water.
Historically, protests in the city to mark the date cause widespread material damages, but this time the fires got out of hand, consuming businesses and a municipal office. Some of the fires burned for hours after the demonstration.
A masked man shouts anti-government slogans during a protest that began as a peaceful march, but later turned rough. Some demonstrators threw rocks at police and gasoline bombs at buildings, resulting in the death of one man who reportedly died of asphyxiation. (Estaban Felix/Associated Press)
Bachelet was elected in December 2013 to a second non-consecutive term promising to reduce income inequality and carry out other reforms. But her approval ratings have plummeted amid an economic downturn and a corruption scandal involving her family.
In her address Saturday, Bachelet emphasized achievements such as a reform guaranteeing free education. She called it a process from which “there is no turning back.”
“If we don’t make the changes now with everyone working together, the tensions and obstacles will grow and our opportunity to progress will be frustrated,” she said.