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Weekly Report - 26 May 2011 (WR-11-21)

CHILE: Protests pepper Piñera's annual address

President Sebastián Piñera delivered his annual state-of-the-nation speech to congress on 21 May, against a backdrop of protests. For the second week running, 40,000 demonstrators turned out on the streets of Santiago on a Friday (the day before the address) to protest against the construction of the massive hydroelectric project, HidroAysén, in Chilean Patagonia [WR-11-19]. Piñera had hoped to be able to focus on the hugely impressive growth figures released just days earlier. Instead, the speech, which lasted for nearly two hours, was interrupted on seven occasions by jeers and insults, 17 people had to be escorted from the building by the police, and the president of the senate, Guido Girardi, had to call congressmen to order.

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