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Latin America: Chile: violent demonstrations at a festival – Monde

Violent anti-government protests and clashes with the police took place in the Chilean town of Viña del Mar on Sunday as an international song festival, the largest in Latin America, opened.

Thousands of protesters armed with stones, sticks and Molotov cocktails, many of which were masked, caused unrest at the entrance to the festival site, a large park called Quinta Vergara, an AFP reporter said.

The police, who had deployed an important security device, blocked the way to the demonstrators and repelled them with tear gas and water-launching trucks.
Viña del Mar is a seaside town located approximately 120 kilometers west of Santiago.

Social protest

The demonstration had been called within the framework of the social protest movement which started four months ago in Chile and which left 31 dead and numerous sackings and fires of commercial establishments and others.

In Viña del Mar, when protesters were blocked by riot police, they began to attack commercial premises not far from the festival site, including the O’Higgins Hotel, one of the most old and elegant from the seaside town.

The main artists participating in the festival are traditionally housed in this hotel, and part of the international jury, artists and journalists were there on Sunday.

Masked protesters

Dozens of masked protesters threw stones and smashed the large picture windows on the hotel’s facade, then threw inside Molotov cocktails as well as police tear gas canisters that they had recovered. They also torched at least seven vehicles.

This caused panic among the occupants and staff of the hotel. The rise of tear gas on the floors made customers flee. The festival audience was finally able to enter the park three and a half hours late, after having passed two security checks.

One of the stars of the festival, singer Ricky Martin, considered the star of Latin pop, expressed his support for social demands before the press. According to the Puerto Rican naturalized Spanish artist, they are “important” to “make the leaders of our countries understand what we need”. He added, however, that the claims should be presented “in an orderly manner”. (Afp / nxp)

Created: 24.02.2020, 01h46

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