Chile suspends fare hike amid unrest

Demonstrators clash with security forces in Santiago, Chile on Saturday. AFP
Demonstrators clash with security forces in Santiago, Chile on Saturday. AFP

CHILE – President Sebastián Piñera suspended a rise in metro fares that sparked protests across the country. 

Soldiers and tanks were deployed in the capital Santiago, after the government declared a state of emergency but demonstrations continued on Saturday. 

In parts of Santiago, hundreds of troops were deployed in the streets for the first time since 1990, when Chile returned to democracy after the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.

Over 300 people were arrested and 156 police were injured, police said.

Earlier, cultural and sporting events were cancelled and shops remained closed. The city’s underground system will remain shut down until Monday, with 41 of 136 stations vandalized.(BBC)

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