Social Protests Mark Start of Viña del Mar Music Festival in Chile

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The International Song Festival of Viña del Mar got off to a turbulent start in this edition. The event, held in Chile uninterruptedly since 1960, is regarded as the most prestigious Latin music festival in the world, with over 250 million global viewers.

This uninterrupted event seemed compromised at a point, after the onset on October 18th of the current wave of social unrest marked by peaceful protests, but also by incidents of violence and serious denunciations of human rights violations. The Asia-Pacific Summit, the COP 25 climate summit, and the Teletón charity television marathon were canceled as a result of the protests, and appeals to Viña to do the same abounded on social media.

However, the festival took place. On Sunday night, over 15,000 people gathered at Quinta Vergara Park, and its broadcast reached 57 points in terms of audience ratings, a very high figure for Chilean television, which in practice means that all TVs were tuned to the event. But the day was overshadowed by severe violence: At least eight cars were burned and 18 stores and institutions were looted or damaged in the surroundings of Quinta Vergara, according to the authorities’ preliminary assessment.

One of the most striking incidents of the day occurred at the Hotel O’Higgins, which for years was the lodging spot for the Festival’s main artists. Around 6 PM, breaking windows, a group of hooded people broke into the place, where there are 385 guests, 85 percent of whom are linked to the event in some way, among journalists, producers and members of some of the bands.

The riots led Viña’s production to suspend the initial performance. The event’s opening was delayed by 15 minutes, and the hosts refrained from mentioning some officials, such as Mayor Virginia Reginato.

The first clashes began just after 5 PM, when more than 300 protesters gathered in the vicinity of Quinta Vergara, violating the security fence set up by the authorities. The Carabineros (military police) officers tried to disperse protesters in Sucre Square, near the festival venue. The protesters destroyed a vehicle dealership located in the center of Viña del Mar and dumped a car from the second floor.

On Sunday afternoon, groups from the settlements (neighborhoods with substandard housing on the outskirts) came down from the hills of Viña to demand improvements in their neighborhoods. Among the glamor and tourist attractions of Viña City lies another aspect: it is the commune (a subdivision of Chilean territory) with the largest number of settlements in the country, among them the Manuel Bustos village, the largest slum in Chile, with an estimated surface area of 57 hectares and where more than a thousand families live.

Political tension

The 2020 edition of the Viña del Mar Festival was compared to that of 1988 when the event coincided with the plebiscite that led to the end of Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship and the subsequent call for elections. This time, and with a plebiscite approaching (on April 26th the electorate will decide whether or not to have a new Constitution to replace the Charter inherited from the dictatorship), the political and social crisis hovered over each of the first night’s performances.

The first to mention the issue were the festival’s own hosts, broadcast jointly by two of Chile’s main television channels, TVN and Canal 13. “At important times like the one our country is experiencing, we want the festival to be the bridge between Chileans,” said Martín Cárcamo. The same happened during Ricky Martin’s performance, in charge of opening the event, who asked Chileans to express themselves. “With peace, but never quiet, demand what you deserve,” the singer said.

The wave of protests was also mentioned in the performance of comedian and impersonator Stefan Kramer, who spoke of Chile’s “awakening” since October 18th, with harsh criticism of Sebastián Piñera’s government. “Chile has grown tired, enough of so much injustice. Let’s sympathize with those who suffer inequalities, let’s step out of the bubble,” cried Kramer, whose account was based on how a person like himself, with all his privileges, has been internalizing the social protests, to the point of taking a pot and going out to protest too.

The Viña Festival takes place this year under unprecedented security measures: metal detectors, police cordons and special lighting in places near Quinta Vergara. In addition, there was a ban on posters, a measure that, according to some, aimed at not affecting public viewing, although this also prevented derogatory messages against the authorities.

Source: El País