Police in Chile Accused of Injuring Thousands, Including Two Human Rights Watchers

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – During protests against the government of President Sebastián Piñera in Chile on Saturday, December 7th, an observer from the National Institute for Human Rights (INDH) was injured by a tear gas grenade. The INDH reported the incident on Twitter.

Luis Guerrero, who was filming the protests, was injured by a tear gas grenade on his left arm and is currently in hospital. His condition was stable. The video published on Twitter shows how the police first use water cannons from a distance and then resort to tear gas to counter the crowds. The INDH called on the prosecutor’s office to investigate the case and prosecute those responsible.

In addition to its important work as an observer during demonstrations, the INDH is also active in the police headquarters in order to ensure that the police comply with legal requirements and that the rights of detainees are respected.

With their yellow anoraks, they are clearly identifiable by protesters and security forces alike. However, this is now the second violation of an INDH employee since the start of protests on October 18th. On October 29th, another member of the Institute was injured with seven shots in the center of Santiago.

On Friday, the INDH had also published weekly figures on injuries to protesters and charges against the police and military. According to the figures, the number of injured has risen to 3,449 since the start of protests, including close to two thousand gunshot wounds. The vast majority of victims are men (2,767), but there are also women (397) and children and adolescents (254) among the victims. The number of eye injuries also increased by over a hundred to 352 over the previous week.