- Title: U.N. deploying team in Chile to investigate human rights violations allegations
- Date: 25th October 2019
- Summary: SANTIAGO, CHILE (OCTOBER 24, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF GENERAL VIEW OF CROWD OF PROTESTER SETTING DEBRIS ON FIRE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AVENUE DEBRIS ON FIRE, PROTESTERS WALKING AROUND WATER CANON DRIVING TOWARDS GROUP OF PROTESTERS, DOUSING THEM WITH WATER GROUP OF ANTI-RIOT POLICE HUDDLED TOGETHER RUNNING INTO STREET TO REMOVE DEBRIS SO ANTI-RIOT VEHICLES CAN DRIVE THROUGH GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (OCTOBER 25, 2019) (REUTERS) UNITED NATIONS BUILDING U.N. REGULAR BRIEFING ONGOING (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS AGENCY (OHCHR) SPOKESWOMAN, RAVINA SHAMDASANI, SAYING: "Our office has received allegations of violations of international norms and standards relating to the use of force by state security forces. We have also received reports of crimes committed by third parties. The high commissioner has thus decided to deploy a team of three human rights officers to the country from the 28th of October until the 22nd of November to examine the allegations, to meet with various actors and to gather information on the measures taken by the government to address the situation." JOURNALISTS SANTIAGO, CHILE (OCTOBER 24, 2019) (REUTERS) PROTESTERS BEING SPRAYED WITH TEAR GAS GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (OCTOBER 25, 2019) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS AGENCY (OHCHR) SPOKESWOMAN, RAVINA SHAMDASANI, SAYING: "During the visit, the team will seek to meet with government officials, civil society representatives, victims, the national human rights institution and other stake holders to collect firsthand information on the events. And in conjunction with our regional office in South America, which is based in Santiago, the team will look into the root causes of the protest as well, including issues relating to the enjoyment of economic and social rights in Chile." SANTIAGO, CHILE (OCTOBER 24, 2019) (REUTERS) PROTESTERS WAVING FLAGS, RUNNING AWAY FROM SECURITY FORCES GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (OCTOBER 25, 2019) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS AGENCY (OHCHR) SPOKESWOMAN, RAVINA SHAMDASANI, SAYING: "We can't confirm that figure (of 18 people killed since unrest started), but we have received those reports, we have received reports that 18 people have died, including a four-year old child, the circumstances are unclear. And we have received reports that 582 people have been wounded, of which 295 by live ammunition. So the National Human Rights Institution has also been following these cases very closely, and they have indicated -- although we have not independently verified -- that in at least 5 of these deaths, there was involvement by security forces. So during our mission, we will be looking into these reports very closely." JOURNALISTS UNITED NATIONS BUILDING
- Embargoed: 8th November 2019 13:03
- Keywords: Chile OHCHR United Nations human rights violent protests Sebastian Pinera use of force police deaths of protesters
- Location: SANTIAGO, CHILE / GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
- City: SANTIAGO, CHILE / GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
- Country: Switzerland
- Topics: Fundamental Rights/Civil Liberties,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001B2LJBYF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:The United Nations said on Friday (October 25) it would send a mission to Chile to investigate allegations of rights violations, as announced this week by U.N. human rights boss Michelle Bachelet, a former president of Chile.
Protests that started over a hike in public transport fares boiled into riots, arson and looting that have killed at least 16 people, injured hundreds, and caused millions of dollars of damage to businesses and infrastructure.
Chile's military has since taken over security in Santiago, a city of 6 million now under a state of emergency with night-time curfews.
President Sebastian Pinera, a billionaire businessman, told the nation on Thursday he had heard "loud and clear" the demands of Chileans.
Prosecutors said on Thursday that since Wednesday night 734 more people had been charged in connection with protests, looting and arson nationwide, with 324 taken into custody in Santiago. More than 7,000 have been charged since Saturday.
Chile is Latin America's golden boy for its clean governance, transparency and investor-friendly environment. Its economy has grown significantly thanks to a solid macroeconomic framework and on the back of a copper boom, allowing it to reduce the number of people living at the poverty level of $5.5 per day to 6.4% in 2017 from 30% in 2000, according to the World Bank.
However, Chile remains the most unequal country in the largely-developed Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), with an income gap 65% wider than the OECD average.
Half of Chilean workers earn $550 a month or less, according to the National Statistics Institute. A 2018 government study showed that the income of the richest was 13.6 times greater than those of the poorest.
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