Student Blogs/Alexa in Chile
Usually, Sprott bloggers want to share the very best of their exchange, in order to promote it to future exchange students who are making their decisions on where to go. In reality, exchange isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, just like life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. When making the decision to become a Sprott blogger, I made a promise to myself that I would share the good AND the bad realities of living in Chile. This post is one example of a not-so-great reality of living in Chile, but I think it is extremely important to bring to your attention. So here it goes…
On Friday October 18, 2019, Chile was declared to be in a State of Emergency. Why?
At the start of the month, the Chilean government announced a rise in the rate of the metro (the subway system) in Santiago. This price increase was equivalent to about $0.05 USD, which may seem insignificant to many of us. For many Chilean citizens, this government decision was the last straw in what has already been a long discontent over the high cost of living in Chile, which the majority of the population cannot afford, as the minimum wage is only about $420 USD per month. This small average income doesn’t even begin to cover the cost of rent, health services, education, food, etc., not to mention that the average citizen will spend one-sixth of it on public transportation each month.
The population-wide frustration finally boiled over, with this most recent increase in metro rates being the “drop that spilled the glass”. A series of protests ensued in early October, not just about the rise in metro prices, but all of the social, political, and economic injustices citizens have felt. Protests are quite common in Chile and they’re usually nothing to be concerned about. In the beginning, it was mainly students who were protesting peacefully across the city and in metro stations. However, as the local police tried to control the demonstrations, many confrontations arose between them and the protesters. The situation began to escalate to a point of rioting that involved arson, destruction of public and private spaces, arrests, injuries, and even deaths.
When the police failed to control the situation, the president of Chile announced a State of Emergency which restricts citizens’ rights to move around the city, as well as the right to assemble. A nightly curfew was imposed, further limiting citizens movement. Finally, the military was deployed into the streets of Santiago to aid in getting control over the escalated situation. This was a scary moment for Chile, because there had not been military presence within the country, nor a curfew imposed since the upsetting dictatorship of the 1970’s and 1980’s.
Even with this State of Emergency, protests continued and spread to other cities and towns across Chile. Almost all of these protests are now peaceful, but the original rioting has left lasting effects. The metro system is so badly damaged in some parts of the city that it may take weeks or even months to get back into full working condition.
The government has since cancelled the rise in metro prices and made a few more statements and promises to improve the standard of living in Chile, in an attempt to calm the masses. Nonetheless, citizens are calling these announcements stingy, at best. They want to see real change. On Friday, October 25th, citizens organized the largest protest in the history of Chile, where over one million people gathered together in Plaza Italia, in the city center, to demand action from their government. As the masses have been chanting, “Chile Despertó” – Chile Has Awoken.
After one full week of protesting, nightly curfews, and military on the streets, the State of Emergency was lifted on Saturday, October 26. Still, organized protests are being planned because this is not a situation that can be forgotten overnight. However, they plan to be peaceful, and the government has recognized that their people want change.
You should know that throughout this complicated civil unrest, myself and my fellow BIB friends have remained secure and with constant communication and support from our host universities. As a foreigner, I realize I cannot possibly fully understand the complicated political landscape of Chile, nor the underlying social frustrations that Chilean citizens have faced their whole lives. While I do stand in solidarity with the people of Chile, I, myself, did not feel it was my place to get involved. The most important job I can do is spread awareness of the current situation to other parts of the world in an attempt to inform people of the realities here in Chile and in South America. I hope that’s what this post was able to achieve.
If you made it to the end, thank you for reading! I don’t want this post to scare anyone, as I still love Chile with all my heart and recommend any future exchange students to come here and experience the beautiful culture it has to offer. If I had to choose all over again, I would still choose Chile. Things like this don’t happen very often, but it is important to know that they are a reality. Even so, the pros of doing an exchange here in Chile still outweigh the "cons".
This past week has certainly been a learning experience for me. While some circumstances have not been ideal, is a very interesting and historical moment to be an exchange student within Chile.
Until next time,
Alexa
Alexa Bordage is a third-yearBachelor of International Business student who is studying abroad in Chile.