Sydney, 24 November 2019

We express our deep concerns about human rights violations taking place in Chile, including the de facto war that billionaire President Sebastian Piñera has unleashed on his people.

On 18 October, Chilean students took to the streets to protest a hike in public transport fares. There have been many rallies and marches throughout the last 30 years against rising costs, and against neo-liberal policies which have widened the gap between rich and poor (0.01% of the population controls 12% of all wealth in Chile) and made the living conditions of the majority of Chileans completely unbearable. Successive governments have done little to meet people's demands and basic needs. Chile is one of the most privatised and inequitable countries in the world.

This time, in response, Piñera deployed more than 12,000 soldiers and police along Chile to quash those expressions of discontent. While the military have now returned to their barracks, Piñera has indicated he will table a bill allowing him to use the military to protect infrastructure, that is, to get them on the streets, without a stage of exception being declared. Soon more than 4,000 police officers (reservists, etc.) will join Carabineros on the streets.