Without euphemisms, I am an advocate of the Chilean economic and social model, as well as the coming of our law enforcement on the occasion of the unusual and savage marches that have affected our country the last two weeks. Nothing justifies, or minimally, the deranged of what happened, in part, led by anarchy and the narco world, as well as the Bolivarian breeze that governs the hosts of the Broad Front and the communists always, erected in their sophistry as a double standard. The great thing about all this is that the protesters don’t exceed 5% of the voting population.
All this was prepared, of doubt, to be implemented during the APEC summit. However, facts and circumstances led to the social outburst emerging earlier than anticipated. Unfortunately, the intelligence was not able to foresee it or, if it was, the authority did not assimilate it. But that doesn’t take away the magnitude of the madness that broke down. True fire bars ravaging the main cities of the country, affecting their nerve resources, transport and food chain. Tamaña concurrency is no stranger to spontaneity.
Under this scenario, carnivals, it was to be hoped that the proceeds of the security and order forces would be overtaken, as indeed happened. And here’s the first reflection. How is it possible that there are those who do not see that the forces, particularly the police, are violent and not the other way around? How far does naivety go? Have you not heard the cry that you hear every day, “pacos, cul(…), caf(..) (z) of the state” perhaps, or am I the only one who sleeps it in my mind? Haven’t you seen buildings and subway stations burn down and then throw stones, or others pretend to be subjected to armed attacks? I think it is sometimes better to shut up a premeditated aversion to the security forces.
I work in the center of the city of Santiago and I have walked in the middle of marches every day, from New York to St. Lucia, and I see, every day, how the march is full of protesters “erased” in drugs and alcohol, with a handkerchief in their mouths and the mapuc flag I have, as if it were Lautaro himself. I have seen, and I have faced these masses of young people, on the subway and on the street, in defense of order per se, first, as of the security forces, where I do not expect them to treat me of their own, but I also do not expect, observing their actions, that that mass will be treated as white pigeon s, when we know well they are not.
On the other hand, the model is blamed, when this is perhaps the origin of our well-being, by the way with his problems, what more of him is of his actors and the parsimony of the regulator. We have been critical of the serious attacks of free competition in our country, we have denounced them and taken over the defence of consumer associations. Therefore, I know the sins and flaws of acting in order of monopolies and with it the injury to the pocket of the most deferred sectors. And I fully commune with that annoyance.
But this model, with its problems, has brought unthinkable benefits for our country, which is not to mention. Just read a little literature for those in their homes dictating chair, or watch the first week of marching, the changing rooms and utensils of the protesters. I’d like you to have one. And for the worse, complaining, when they have no problem paying more than 100 thousand pesos to go to the recital on duty, giving many of them a brutal inconsequence.
There is no doubt that Chile’s economic and social model presents problems. It doesn’t go through the change of the Constitution. It goes through correcting the inequities that certainly exist, on which so many times it has been written in this medium, which, like few, has given a critical and constructive stand at the same time. But it is not about destroying a country in two weeks, less, handing it over to a minority of energy who, acting on violence, have gone on to bring entire cities and what it inhabits and, for worse, have not gained popular choice to support them. Alejandro Guiller’s program was defeated by beating, and this country has not collapsed since that election so that the defeated before stand as victors today, calling ironically as mistakenly “civil disobedience”.
Under this protest scenario, I only have words of thanks when I see and convert with our police or security forces, IDPs and FFAA members. They are seen in their faces as misunderstood. And if you have committed mistakes and excesses none of this obnomeans the procedure which, for the most part, is appropriate as necessary for this country to restore order soon and then work together in the search for prosperity and peace.
The content poured into this opinion column is the sole responsibility of its author, and does not necessarily reflect the editorial line or position of El Mostrador.
