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Chilean President Announces Reforms Aimed to Curb Massive Protests

HeadlineOct 23, 2019

Chilean President Sebastián Piñera has announced new reforms aimed at ending weeks of nationwide protests in response to a subway fare hike, rising inequality, high cost of living and privatization. Piñera vowed Tuesday to increase the basic pension by 20% and proposed a healthcare law that would mandate the state cover the costs of expensive medical treatments. It’s unclear whether the reforms will halt the massive demonstrations. At least 15 people have died, and more than 5,000 have been detained, since the protests began. Piñera has declared a state of emergency in the capital of Santiago and five other cities, imposing a curfew and sending the military into the streets in response to civil unrest for the first time since dictator Augusto Pinochet’s regime.

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