This article and video are in Swedish. I addressed the riots in Chile 2019
The unrest in Chile has deeper roots than I fully grasp. Even though Chile has had one of the strongest and most stable economies in Latin America, corruption has been present for a long time. These are just some loose thoughts on what is happening.
In the end of the video I mention “oppression”; the word I was looking for was really “injustice”.
Transcript (English)
Hi, it’s Cristian. I’m out walking in a cold but otherwise safe rural area. I’m skeptical of everything that’s said or shown—I never take a claim as truth because people tend to show only the extremes.
I’m trying to understand what’s happening in Chile. Swedish media are silent. Chilean media don’t show the whole picture—not the atrocities: killings, torture carried out by the military and especially Carabineros. There are reports that they beat, kill, and subject people to sexual violence in their vehicles.
I saw a video of a young medical student who ran to help people beaten on the street. Police grabbed him, threw him into a truck, subjected him to sexual violence and torture for two hours, then dumped him. It’s terrifying. Meanwhile, some news say it’s calming down—I don’t know the truth. Official media report nothing; South American media report what the president allows; social media also give a skewed view. I’d really like to know what’s actually happening.
I spoke with a cousin in Chile; he says there are “desaparecidos”—disappeared people—like under the military dictatorship: mass killings and people vanishing. I think this has gone too far. It’s not enough for Piñera to resign; he and the involved Carabineros must be prosecuted for crimes against humanity.
I live in uncertainty: no idea if it’s calming down or getting worse. The picture changes depending on whom you talk to. But it’s undeniable that what’s happening doesn’t belong in a democracy or a modern society. Don’t overestimate people’s goodwill. If anyone knows more—has contacts in Chile and can say whether things are escalating or calming—please let me know. Thanks. Bye.