Social Outburst (Chile)

Quick Facts: Who was Social Outburst (Chile)?

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Social Outburst (Chile)

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Massive civil unrest in Chile, sparked by fare hikes and deep social inequality.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Social Outburst (Spanish: Estallido Social) was a series of massive demonstrations and severe riots occurring mainly between October 2019 and March 2020, in response to a rise in the Santiago Metro's subway fare, a probity crisis, cost of living, university graduate unemployment, privatisation, and inequality prevalent in the country. It originated in Santiago and took place in all regions of Chile, with greater effect in the regional capitals. The protests began in Chile's capital, Santiago, as a coordinated fare evasion campaign by secondary school students which led to spontaneous takeovers of the city's main train stations and open confrontations with the Carabineros de Chile (the national gendarmerie). On 18 October, the situation escalated as a group of people began vandalizing Santiago's infrastructure; seizing, vandalizing, and burning down many stations of the Santiago Metro network and disabling them with extensive infrastructure damage; and for a time causing the closure of the network in its entirety. Eighty-one stations sustained major damage, including seventeen burned down.

Career & Major Achievements

On the same day, president of Chile Sebastián Piñera announced a state of emergency, authorizing the deployment of Chilean Army forces across the main regions to enforce order and prevent the destruction of public property, and invoked before the courts the Ley de Seguridad del Estado ("State Security Law") against dozens of detainees. A curfew was declared on 19 October in the Greater Santiago area. In the following days, protests and riots expanded to other Chilean cities, including Concepción, San Antonio, and Valparaíso. Widespread looting occurred at shops and businesses. The state of emergency was extended to the Concepción Province, all of Valparaíso Region (except Easter Island and Juan Fernández Archipelago), and the cities of Antofagasta, Coquimbo, Iquique, La Serena, Rancagua, Valdivia, Osorno, and Puerto Montt.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The protests have been considered the "worst civil unrest" having occurred in Chile since the end of Augusto Pinochet's military dictatorship due to the scale of damage to public infrastructure, the number of protesters, and the measures taken by the government. On 25 October 2019, over 1.2 million people took to the streets of Santiago to protest against social inequality in what was called "the biggest march of Chile". As of 28 December 2019, 29 people had died, nearly 2,500 had been injured, and 2,840 had been arrested. Human rights organizations have received several reports of violations conducted against protesters by security forces, including eye mutilation, torture, sexual abuse, and sexual assault. On 28 October 2019, President Piñera changed eight ministries of his cabinet in response to the unrest, dismissing his Interior Minister Andrés Chadwick.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 2019: 2019 Milestone — Social Outburst (Spanish: Estallido Social) was a series of massive demonstrations and severe riots occurring mainly between October 2019 and March 2020, in response to a rise in the Santiago Metro's subway fare, a probity crisis, cost of living, university graduate unemployment, privatisation, and inequality prevalent in the country.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Social Outburst (Chile)

True or False: “The initial catalyst for the 2019 protests was solely the privatization of state industries.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While privatization and cost of living were major factors, the immediate spark cited was the proposed fare hike on the Santiago Metro.

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