Chilean Tourism, Transportation Sectors Collapse

As the violent clashes between the demonstrators and the security forces in Chile continue, Chilean Economy Minister, Lucas Palacios, said that the violent protests that rocked Chile more than two months ago resulted in the collapse of the tourism and the transportation sectors, and this will negatively affect the economy of the country.

The Chilean minister pointed out that in November, the tourist flow rate reached 70%, which was supposed to continue until February, but at the beginning of December the percentage decreased to 30%.

Earlier this month, violence reached unprecedented levels, with calls for strikes after weeks of the protests and the social crisis coordinated by some 200 trade union organizations, involving citizens, students and health workers.

Security forces in Chile detained hundreds of protesters while the protesters used violence to confront them,  blocked roads, set fire and threw Molotov cocktails at armored vehicles.

Chile has been in a state of disarray for weeks due to the protests over economic conditions, while many Latin American countries are witnessing similar movements, one of which resulted in Bolivian President Evo Morales resigning.

Noteworthy, demonstrations in Chile started several weeks ago to protest the economic situation in the country after the announcement of a 3.75% increase in metro fees.

Districts in the Chilean capital of Santiago have been turned into battlefields due to the clashes between protesters and police in recent days.

The streets of the capital Santiago and the coastal city of Valparaiso have turned into a battleground. The police forces fired tear gas at the protesters while the protesters responded by throwing stones.