Chile on Fire

Judy. Right now, the media in the United States is wrapped up in impeachment hearings—and that’s as it should be. It’s an important issue for our country. Still, I can’t recall many times when North American news channels covered problems in other countries, unless it affected the US.

In the six weeks we lived in Santiago, we developed many friendships with lovely and caring people. At the moment, we are deeply concerned for their safety.

Some weeks ago the government imposed a small increase in subway fares. Very small, in fact, and only during rush hour. When students and workers complained, the response was, “Leave an hour earlier.” Enraged, the students and workers began a violent protest, burning metro stations and other buildings. This, you may have seen. You may not have seen photos of citizens of Santiago cleaning up afterwards.

Burning Church

And you may not know that the subway fare rise was only the spark that exposed the lack of health care, pensions, and other issues. Soon more than just students were protesting, some silently or in nonviolent marches, and others violently. The President responded by having the army treat them all the same, firing rubber bullets, using teargas, etc. Hundreds of people have been partially or completely blinded by the rubber bullets.

Silent protesters

Our friends tell us it is mass confusion; that curfews are in place, that stores are open for only a few hours, and that they often have to wait hours in line for a grocery store to open, only to find there is nothing there.

Stores boarded on Avenida Apoquinto 

One dear friend responded to me, “I don’t see how this will end.”

The pastor of Santiago Community Church (our church home in Chile), after seeing graffiti on the church wall, decided to do something. Realizing that protesters would be marching by the church, followed by the army, he bought up all the bottles of water and plastic cups he could get, and handed them out to protesters and army alike. When the bottles were gone, he filled cups with water and handed those out.

Medics washing their hands at Santiago Community Church

The President has promised a referendum in April to draft a new Constitution, the old one being a holdover from the Pinochet era. For some of my friends, this is not enough. New laws need to be enacted.

As I said, it’s a confusing and difficult time. Some say that the fires were not started by students, but by a special-interest group with a different agenda. We don’t understand all of it, and our friends, who see the problems from different sides, give us conflicting answers. The fact is that unrest is spreading over South America, and around the world.

All we know is that Chile is on fire, and we love and pray for our friends.