The president of Chile, Gabriel Boric, referred to the incidents that occurred on May 1 in which three people were shot; one of them is a journalist and is in critical condition. “This is how the worst tragedies in Latin America begin, attacking the press,” the president said on Monday, expressing concern about the incidents that took place this Sunday as part of a march for International Workers’ Day.
The main Chilean union, the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT), gathered thousands of people in Plaza Italia with flags and banners in favor of the labor rights of workers. “We are happy, it is a special and particular day after two years of confinement (due to covid-19)” to “recognize the work of many colleagues such as health, commerce and transport workers, who were fundamental in this pandemic,” said David Acuña, president of the CUT.
The March It took place without incident and the Minister of Labor also participated in it., Jeanette Jara, the first member of the Communist Party to assume this position after the return of democracy in Chile (1990). Jara was also architect of the agreement reached with the CUT and organizations of medium and small businesses to increase the minimum wage by 12.5%, an increase that must be ratified by Congress.
In the context of the mobilization called by the CUT, in the municipality of Estación Central, in Santiago, there were strong incidents with protesters setting barricades on firesome entered commercial premises and clashed with merchants.
“There were clashes between street vendors that unfortunately They used firearms and injured three people.two of them women and a third man also injured by bullet impact,” said Enrique Monrás, head of the Police Metropolitan Zone.
The Chilean Police confirmed that two foreigners were arrested on suspicion of having fired the shots, while the Public Ministry investigates the case. Police intervened in the incidents dispersing the demonstrators with hydrant trucks and tear gas.
Boric stated that “the situation of violence” that is being experienced in “many places” in the country “is absolutely unacceptable and the naturalization of the same is something that the Government is not going to allow”.
“We are going to lend all the support for families and organizations so that there is a quick resolution, the guilty are identified and there is justice. The families of the victims will count on our full collaboration,” he assured.
The progressive president maintained that gun control will be intensified and that work will be done so that these events “do not happen again”. “We cannot allow weapons to continue to become naturalized in Chilean society, for someone to fire a weapon at a person who was covering a demonstration. This is how the worst tragedies in Latin America begin, attacking the press,” he said.
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