Although several times more powerful than the earthquake that hit Haiti in January, the quake in Chile resulted in less damage and fewer casualties for a number of reasons, ranging from better infrastructure and preparations to the location of the epicentre relative to urban centres.
The priorities of disaster response, however, are now all too familiar.
As the death count in central Chile rose to over 800, attention shifted from preserving human life to protecting private property. Police and troops were quickly dispatched to Concepción.
Armed troops patrol the streets to “restore and maintain order” while the mainstream media portrays those most deeply impacted by the earthquake as thieves and bandits exploiting the chaos caused by the natural disaster.
In reality, people are scrounging for food, water and fuel. Thousands have been left homeless. An estimated 1,000 people are missing in coastal towns, with figures expected to grow in the coming days and weeks.
The government has imposed police-state measures to protect private property, including a nighttime curfew and the deployment of small tanks in Concepción. Troops are using tear gas and water cannons to attack citizens looking for food and water. One military commander warned that the response to such “criminals” would be “severe” .
Chilean police announced on March 1 that 160 people were arrested—not for any alleged “looting,” but for being out on the streets during curfew hours.
“We need help,” said one woman in the devastated town of Dichato. “We’re eating from the garbage. We have nothing.”
Since the 1973 coup which overthrew Allende and preempted the prospect of socialist development, the rule of capital and private property continues to this day.
It’s too soon to accurately estimate the devastation wrought by the earthquake. What is clear is that the Chilean people need humanitarian aid and international solidarity, not police and troops.
