by Doenja van der Veen
Picture by Cristobal Luna
In November of 2019 large swathes of the population took to the streets in Chile. Originally, these protests were sparked by a rise in public transportation fares. This change, set in the context of already massive inequalities in the country, mobilized people in Chile to protest against the regime headed by Sebastián Piñera. Tensions had been simmering during the past decade but this unrest was of a scale not seen in recent years. Among other actions, the protestors occupied Santiago Plaza, renaming it Dignity Square with their massive numbers. Largely peaceful, their demands were against the fares, but moreover what they symbolized: the inability of the state to provide for an equal society.
Picture by Cristobal Luna
Despite the fact that these were largely peaceful protests, they were met with fierce suppression by the government. Sebastián Piñera, when addressing the unrest stated “we are at war, against a powerful and relentless enemy who does not respect anyone or anything”. This “enemy” consisted of the many unarmed people protesting his government. The Chilean government deployed both the army and the Carabineros (the national police) in response to the protests, the latter of which especially has faced massive criticism for their role in “combating” the demonstrations. This includes the frequent use of teargas, the use of lethal force, torture, and generalized ill treatment. Over 1800 people were hospitalized, 5000 arrested and multiple deaths were recorded. These came along with allegations of torture and sexual violence. Amnesty International has collected many instances of video evidence in which protestors are beaten, targeted by vehicles or hit at close range by potentially lethal weapons. These weapons specifically have become the subject of controversy. The misuse of rubber bullets and tear gas by police has led to over 400 people losing one or both eyes. These weapons according to protocol and law have to be shot only in extreme threat and even then, not point blank. Despite this, police explicitly aimed at protestors faces, which has led to what one doctor called an “epidemic” of eye trauma. Protestors who had been blinded became one of the main symbols of the protests, as they shifted to include resistance against the police force.
Multiple sources suggest that the amount of violence displayed by the Carabineros last year had escalated from isolated incidents in which agents went too far, to a systemic policy to injure protestors. It is suspected that they hope to discourage the population from coming out to make their voices heard. Some individual officers have received dismissals or other sanctions due to their actions, but a large amount of human rights violations by the Carabineros are to this day ignored or downplayed. Most significantly, the superiors who oversaw or ordered the actions of officers, have not received lasting consequences. The government continues to support the leader Mario Rozas, even as the population calls for him to resign and the approval rating for the Carabineros dropped to 36%. Even before the protests, the force was rife with scandals such as embezzlement, planting of evidence and the murder of an indigenous man in 2018.
In Chile there are now increasing calls to reform this institution, which were renewed after a police officer was caught throwing a 16 year old from a bridge last month. Far from stopping the protests, the violence has only highlighted the importance of change in Chilean society. Human rights groups want more civilian oversight, training and the removal of certain officers. Giorgo Jackson of the opposition argues “We need to change the culture of [the Carabineros] to ensure that the right to protest is guaranteed”. The institution has remained largely unchanged since the dictatorship of Pinochet and is insulated from criticism while remaining oppositional to the population at large. There have been some reforms, including human rights training but they are not seen as sufficient, as the Carabineros have a hierarchical structure and system for disciplining officers that discourages change. COVID-19 lockdowns have also exacerbated economic inequalities, while strengthening police powers, two of the core causes of unrest, which makes stopping police brutality all the more important. The protests have achieved significant results, such as prompting a referendum to change the Pinochet-era constitution, which was agreed upon by a majority of the population. However, it is important that the severe human rights abuses which have occurred are recognized and that the structures which made them possible are reformed.
Picture by Cristobal Luna
Our article this week is in collaboration with the Write4Rights Campaign, who are writing to ask for justice for those who suffered from injuries in the 2019 Chile protests. Specifically, the campaign is asking for accountability regarding Gustavo Gatica, who was shot in both eyes by rubber bullets in November, permanently blinding him. In his own words “I gave my eyes so people would wake up”. While an investigation has been opened, there is no response to the larger pattern of violence that made this possible. Amnesty International calls on the National Prosecutor Jorge Abbott Charme to investigate the responsibility of commanders who violated human rights norms last year, and to undertake police reform to the Carabineros to avoid this in the future. For more information about how you can help out visit @write4rights_utrecht on Instagram.