The 2019–2020 Chilean protests: A first look at their causes and participants

On 18 October 2019, after weeks of subway fare evasions in a protest for a fare increase, protesters occupied some stations of the Metropolitan Public Transport Network in Santiago, Chile’s capital city. An explosive and surprising escalation of violence ensued later that night marking the beginning of an ongoing social crisis that extended to other regions of the country, and reshaped, probably permanently, the political landscape.

It is not yet possible to provide a definitive account of events that are still unfolding. We do not aim (nor can) settle the debate, nor give an exhaustive account of all arguments in such a short text. Instead, we describe the main facts of the still ongoing social crisis and the context leading to this crisis, and suggest some explanations based on current body of research and on survey data fielded during the crisis.