Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


'So Much Damage': Chile Protests Flare Back Up as Reforms Fall Short

Reuters

   SANTIAGO - Chileans took to the streets again on Tuesday, pouring by
   the thousands into plazas and shutting down main boulevards in a sign
   that government promises of reform continued to fall short.

   Police in armored trucks watched over the gathering masses.

   The night before, vandals wreaked havoc nearby, looting, setting fires
   and sowing chaos amid a melee of sirens, protesters banging pots and
   heavy black smoke.

   President Sebastian Pinera's newly appointed spokeswoman Karla Rubilar
   condemned the previous night's mayhem, saying it did not reflect the
   wishes of the majority.

   "The violence is over-taking the legitimate demands of the social
   movement," Rubilar told reporters. She called on all Chileans, from
   soccer players to cultural icons, to reject the rioting.

   Days earlier, more than a million Chileans marched peacefully against
   inequality in Santiago, the largest protest since Chile's return to
   democracy in 1990.

   The continuing unrest in Chile follows a week of riots, arson and
   protests over inequality that have resulted in at least 18 dead and
   7,000 arrested, prosecutors said. Chilean businesses lost more than
   $1.4 billion. The city's metro suffered nearly $400 million in damages.

.