Blinded for justice: police violence and human rights violations during the Chilean protest movement of 2019

Presentation by Marit de Haan for the Writing Marathon organized by Amnesty Vlaanderen (event in Dutch).

Blinded by police violence – Gustavo Gatica went blind in both eyes as the result of excessive police violence during protests about social inequality in Chile in 2019. During their yearly writing marathon, the youth organization of Amnesty Vlaanderen calls on the Public Prosecution Service of Chile to conduct a thorough and independent investigation.

This presentation gives some context behind the story of Gustavo, who’s story is not exceptional. The Chilean National Institute of Human Rights (INDH) indicates that the use of rubber bullets by security forces has left at least 1863 injured, including 268 with eye trauma.

What are the protests in Chile about, and what is currently going on in the country? How were the rights of protesters violated during the protest movement and how does the violent reaction of the Chilean government relate to Chile’s past of military dictatorship?