On Friday, August 12, Chilean officials ordered an end to protests, stating that "Chile is not going to be governed from the streets". Fed up with civil disorder in Santiago, authorities are urging student protest leaders to seek out official avenues for education reform. Protests against Chile's privatized education system have been carrying on for months, with Chilean college and high school students demanding reform to an education system that leaves many in crippling debt upon graduation. Students have, for the most part, refrained from violence in favor of more creative demonstrations, some of which involved superhero outfits and Lady Gaga costumes. On June 6, with “pasión por la educación”, thousands participated in a kissing protest, and on June 24, three thousand students organized a flash mob to "Thriller", declaring that "the present [education] system is rotten and dead." Last week, violence escalated as students demanded airtime on national television and the government ceased authorization of the organized marches. Riot police have resorted to tear gas and water cannons in an attempt to maintain "business as usual", and 873 arrests were made after the first day of rioting.
The video below gives a solid overview of the events that have transpired:
Back in January 2010, Nearshore Americas named Santiago the safest and least corrupt capital city in Latin America, and Chile is the most politically sound country in the region. This serves as a reminder of the risk of doing business in Latin America, where unpredictable social and political environments can distract, or worse, endanger employees and operations.
No comments:
Post a Comment