Protests against the visit of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro ended in clashes between demonstrators and police on the streets of Santiago this Friday.
Riot police, tear gas and water cannon were deployed in an effort to disperse the crowd. Demonstrators fought back using projectiles and by erecting barricades. Several arrests were made.
The protest was organised by the antifascist, LGBTQ+ and women’s movement, all groups which Bolsonaro has been publicly critical of in his home country.
The Brazilian president arrived in Santiago, Chile’s capital, on Thursday night and met with leaders of seven Latin American states.
The presidents agreed to create a new political association called the Forum for the Progress of South America, or Prosur. The bloc includes Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Guyana.