I've found that Chilean people my age are concerned with similar issues and hold similar values to me. For example, some younger generations of Chileans are feminists, care about having adequate social services and promote sustainable living. I was actually quite surprised to see Hazte vegano! or “Go vegan!” written among typical street graffiti.
Other concerns, such as economic inequality, education and gender equality, are also frequently discussed among people my age. You may have seen Chile on the news last October. Major protests and marches of millions of people broke out in Santiago focused on these topics and more. The catalyst for the marches was the proposed rise in the cost to ride the metro. Over a million people took to the streets and gathered outside President Piñera’s residence, demanding his resignation. While most of the protests were peaceful, others ended in burning buildings and police brutality against protesters, so Piñera ultimately called for a state of emergency.
The metro price increase was only a small part of the true reasons for the protests. Underneath Chileans’ anger exists years of frustrations with a broken democracy.
