2011 Magallanes protests
Encyclopedia
The 2011 Magallanes protests were a series of protests provoked by the rising of natural gas
prices in the Chile
an region of Magallanes, in January 2011. The conflict ended on January 18, when Laurence Golborne
and the Citizens Assembly of Magallanes reached an agreement.
(ENAP, National Petroleum Company) faced with high deficits due to subsidies provided to XII Region (Magallanes and Antártica Chilena) gas customers, proposed to increase the price of the natural gas by 16.8% in the region, located in the southern extreme of Chile. The apparent increase in the price was actually the result of a reduction of the heavily subsidised pricing for natural gas for users in this region. ENAP provides subsidies of approximately 80 percent of the delivered cost of gas in this region. As a result, users receive extremely low-cost natural gas, while residential users of natural gas in the Santiago region pay extremely high prices for the same commodity.
, prompted a series of protests in that region during the following weeks, including mass mobilisations, and a stoppage in the region's most important cities, such as Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales
.
On January 11, the Asamblea Ciudadana de Magallanes (Magallanes Citizens' Assembly) convoked an indefinite strike from that midnight. Two women, Claudia Castillo Campos, 19, and Melisa Silva Ruiz, 23, were killed by a truck during the protests in Punta Arenas that night. The driver of the truck was trying to run through the illegal barricades that were being operated by the persons who were injured. The events took place late at night and involved the serious injury of an unsupervised small child. The parents, who could have been charged with endangering the child, received no legal sanctions. On the same day, more than thirty-one persons were arrested, some while trying to loot, burn, or otherwise destroy public property. Punta Arenas judges ordered the nearly immediate release of almost all those who were caught by the police. After the first manifestations, Carabineros de Chile
requested a contingent of Special Forces to control the strike.
During the January 12, the strike continued in the main towns of the Magallanes Region, extending itself to the main border crossings with Argentina. More than two thousand cars remained isolated while trying to cross from the province of Tierra del Fuego
to the province of Santa Cruz
through Chilean territory. Another 1,500 tourists were left without movement in Torres del Paine National Park
after routes to Puerto Natales and El Calafate were cut. Actions by the protesters halted buses of people attempting to flee from Chile, leaving them at barricaded locations outside the cities, unable to move except by walking. This "forced march" situation adversely affected many elderly tourists, including those with disabilities, resulting in human rights complaints and well as violations of Chilean national law providing for free passage within the country. The Chilean national police, the Carabineros, refused to act on behalf of the foreign visitors by enforcing the national law, instead leaving these people without access to food or water, stranded without transportation outside the cities. Many elderly and handicapped people were thus forced to walk for up to 20 km. Before the regional protests and rebellion against the law were over, thousands of people had to be evacuated. Some chose to walk from Puerto Natales to the frontier with Argentina, where they were received as refugees, and given assistance to onward travel and other accommodation. Eventually the US Embassy quietly arranged for a cooperative effort involving the Chilean Air Force. Squadron Commander Vegas was credited with a successful airlift of several thousand visitors, with most being delivered to the Punta Arenas airport for onward transportation so that those people could flee from southern Chile. LAN airlines was able to evacuate many of these affected people with flights to Santiago.
Although it worked normally, cuts in the route to President Carlos Ibáñez del Campo International Airport forced the suspension of Sky Airline
and LAN Airlines
flights.
announced changes in Sebastián Piñera
's Government cabinet, including the resignment of Ricardo Raineri
as Energy Minister. Laurence Golborne
became Mining
and Energy Minister, on January 16.
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
prices in the Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an region of Magallanes, in January 2011. The conflict ended on January 18, when Laurence Golborne
Laurence Golborne
Laurence Nelson Golborne Riveros is a Chilean engineer and entrepreneur. He is the current Mining Minister and Energy Minister in the administration of President Sebastián Piñera.- Family and education :...
and the Citizens Assembly of Magallanes reached an agreement.
Background
On December 29, 2010, the directory of Empresa Nacional del PetróleoEmpresa Nacional del Petróleo
Empresa Nacional del Petróleo, or ENAP is a state owned company in Chile, based in Las Condes. The company is engaged in the exploration, production, refining, and marketing of hydrocarbons and their derivatives. ENAP was created by Law No. 9618, June 19, 1950...
(ENAP, National Petroleum Company) faced with high deficits due to subsidies provided to XII Region (Magallanes and Antártica Chilena) gas customers, proposed to increase the price of the natural gas by 16.8% in the region, located in the southern extreme of Chile. The apparent increase in the price was actually the result of a reduction of the heavily subsidised pricing for natural gas for users in this region. ENAP provides subsidies of approximately 80 percent of the delivered cost of gas in this region. As a result, users receive extremely low-cost natural gas, while residential users of natural gas in the Santiago region pay extremely high prices for the same commodity.
Protests
Empresa Nacional del Petróleo's decision, supported by the Energy Minister Ricardo RaineriRicardo Raineri
Ricardo Jorge Raineri Bernain is an economist, academic, researcher, consultant, and politician. On February 9, 2010, Chile's current President Sebastián Piñera nominated him to the Ministry of Energy.-Biography:...
, prompted a series of protests in that region during the following weeks, including mass mobilisations, and a stoppage in the region's most important cities, such as Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales
Puerto Natales
Puerto Natales is a city in Chilean Patagonia. Puerto Natales is the capital of both the commune of Natales and the province of Última Esperanza, , one of the four provinces that make up the Magallanes and Antartica Chilena Region in the southernmost part of Chile...
.
On January 11, the Asamblea Ciudadana de Magallanes (Magallanes Citizens' Assembly) convoked an indefinite strike from that midnight. Two women, Claudia Castillo Campos, 19, and Melisa Silva Ruiz, 23, were killed by a truck during the protests in Punta Arenas that night. The driver of the truck was trying to run through the illegal barricades that were being operated by the persons who were injured. The events took place late at night and involved the serious injury of an unsupervised small child. The parents, who could have been charged with endangering the child, received no legal sanctions. On the same day, more than thirty-one persons were arrested, some while trying to loot, burn, or otherwise destroy public property. Punta Arenas judges ordered the nearly immediate release of almost all those who were caught by the police. After the first manifestations, Carabineros de Chile
Carabineros de Chile
thumb|250px|Carabineros de Chile, patrolling a street in [[Santiago, Chile|Santiago]]The Carabiniers of Chile, are the uniformed Chilean national police force and gendarmerie, created on April 27, 1927. Their mission is to maintain order and create public respect for the laws of the country...
requested a contingent of Special Forces to control the strike.
During the January 12, the strike continued in the main towns of the Magallanes Region, extending itself to the main border crossings with Argentina. More than two thousand cars remained isolated while trying to cross from the province of Tierra del Fuego
Tierra del Fuego Province (Argentina)
Tierra del Fuego is an Argentine province entirely separated from mainland Argentina by the Strait of Magellan. It includes:* The eastern part of the Isla Grande of Tierra del Fuego archipelago and the Staten Island.* Argentina's claims to the Falkland Islands and to...
to the province of Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz Province
Santa Cruz Province may refer to*Santa Cruz Province, Argentina*Santa Cruz Province, Peru*Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain...
through Chilean territory. Another 1,500 tourists were left without movement in Torres del Paine National Park
Torres del Paine National Park
Torres del Paine National Park is a national park encompassing mountains, a glacier, a lake, and river-rich areas in southern Chilean Patagonia. The Cordillera del Paine is the centerpiece of the park. It lies in a transition area between the Magellanic subpolar forests and the Patagonian Steppes...
after routes to Puerto Natales and El Calafate were cut. Actions by the protesters halted buses of people attempting to flee from Chile, leaving them at barricaded locations outside the cities, unable to move except by walking. This "forced march" situation adversely affected many elderly tourists, including those with disabilities, resulting in human rights complaints and well as violations of Chilean national law providing for free passage within the country. The Chilean national police, the Carabineros, refused to act on behalf of the foreign visitors by enforcing the national law, instead leaving these people without access to food or water, stranded without transportation outside the cities. Many elderly and handicapped people were thus forced to walk for up to 20 km. Before the regional protests and rebellion against the law were over, thousands of people had to be evacuated. Some chose to walk from Puerto Natales to the frontier with Argentina, where they were received as refugees, and given assistance to onward travel and other accommodation. Eventually the US Embassy quietly arranged for a cooperative effort involving the Chilean Air Force. Squadron Commander Vegas was credited with a successful airlift of several thousand visitors, with most being delivered to the Punta Arenas airport for onward transportation so that those people could flee from southern Chile. LAN airlines was able to evacuate many of these affected people with flights to Santiago.
Although it worked normally, cuts in the route to President Carlos Ibáñez del Campo International Airport forced the suspension of Sky Airline
Sky Airline
Sky Airline is an airline based at Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Santiago, Chile. It is the second largest airline in the country behind rival LAN Airlines, and mostly relies on domestic services.- History :...
and LAN Airlines
LAN Airlines
LAN Airlines S.A. is an airline based in Santiago, Chile. LAN is currently positioned amongst the largest airlines in Latin America, serving Latin America, United States, the Caribbean, Oceania, and Europe. It is a member of the Oneworld airline alliance...
flights.
Consequences
Prior to the conclusion of the protests, the Interior Ministry invoked the Law of Internal Security of the State, with the intent to begin judicial determination of those responsible for the damages inflicted during the disturbances. The value of the damages varies, but was estimated in the Prensa Austral as being economic damage of approximately US$14 million, with additional damages to the infrastructure of Punta Arenas. The law of Internal Security of the State also provides for the use of the Chilean armed forces in restoring civil order, and the invocation of this law may have played a part in bringing the Asambla Ciudadana de Magallanes to the bargaining table. On January 14, the Minister Secretary General of Government Ena von BaerEna von Baer
Ena Anglein von Baer Jahn is a Chilean journalist, political scientist and current senator.In December 2009, von Baer lost a very tight race for a seat in the Senate. In March 2010 she became Ministry General Secretariat of Government...
announced changes in Sebastián Piñera
Sebastián Piñera
Miguel Juan Sebastián Piñera Echenique is a Chilean businessman and politician. He was elected President of Chile in January 2010, taking office in March 2010.- Education :...
's Government cabinet, including the resignment of Ricardo Raineri
Ricardo Raineri
Ricardo Jorge Raineri Bernain is an economist, academic, researcher, consultant, and politician. On February 9, 2010, Chile's current President Sebastián Piñera nominated him to the Ministry of Energy.-Biography:...
as Energy Minister. Laurence Golborne
Laurence Golborne
Laurence Nelson Golborne Riveros is a Chilean engineer and entrepreneur. He is the current Mining Minister and Energy Minister in the administration of President Sebastián Piñera.- Family and education :...
became Mining
Ministry of Mining (Chile)
The Ministry of Mining is the cabinet-level administrative office in charge of matters related to mining in Chile.The mining sector contributed 16.4% of Chile's gross domestic product in 2009, 14,157 billion pesos, mostly from copper mining....
and Energy Minister, on January 16.
End of the conflict
On January 18, an agreement between the Government of Chile and the Magallanes Citizens' Assembly was signed. The government proposed to increase the price of gas by 3%, far less than its originally planned increase of almost 17%. Industries will also be benefited by the agreement. Also, the government proposed to give 17,000 subsidies to the poorest families in the region, which will not be affected by the 3% increase.See also
- 2006 student protests in Chile2006 student protests in ChileThe 2006 student protests in Chile were a series of ongoing student voice protests carried out by high school students across Chile from late April to early June 2006...
- 2008 student protests in Chile2008 student protests in ChileThe 2008 student protests in Chile were a series of protests and other manifestations by citizens of dissatisfaction against the state of education in Chile. The protest were the largest student protest in Chile ofter the 2006 student protest. Both secondary and university students participated...
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