Opinion: Chile’s Boric applies dictatorship-era national security law against truckers

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – (Opinion) The nationwide strike by truck drivers in Chile entered its fifth day Thursday (28). Protesters are blocking the country’s main roads to demand police reinforcements and complain about high fuel prices and tolls.

The government resorted to the National Security Law, widely used during the dictatorship to suppress the actions.

This is not the first time the category has come up for security reasons. However, the matter got a boost last week when a truck driver was shot in the head.

The Interior Ministry and the strikers have met several times but have not reached an agreement. Against this backdrop, the government announced Wednesday night (27) the launch of seven cases against leaders of the movement under the National Security Law.

Chile’s president, leftist-globalist Gabriel Boric, had already warned that truck drivers who block roads would be prosecuted. According to the Chief Executive, this is a crime against public order, as it hinders millions of people’s free movement and supply.

Just recently, we heard an almost identical discourse from Trudeau’s Canada. The freedom movement of Canadian truckers was put down with martial law, showing that the danger of authoritarian rule today comes not from the right but from the left.

The Chilean truck drivers have already held other protests in February. On that occasion, they blocked roads and even an airport. In addition to the lack of security, they also complained about immigrants entering the country.

BORIC’S APPROVAL RATING DROPS

The strike is a significant challenge for Boric, who came to power on March 13 this year.

He took office as a sunny boy, a wild-romantic leftist dream come true, so to speak, of being a rebellious student leader with lofty ideals of social justice and Kumbaya, and now he’s turning out to be just another regular guy shooting at sparrows with cannons.

Chileans are waking up – angry – from their mass illusion.

In his 7th week in office, 53% of the Chilean population disagrees with the Chilean president. Only 36% approve of his government. This is according to the Cadem poll published on Tuesday (26th).

At the beginning of his term, Boric had received 50% approval and 20% disapproval. We are looking here at the biggest drop in popularity in the country’s history.

The 35-year-old Boric beat patriotic-conservative candidate José Antonio Kast with 55.9% to 44.1% of the vote.

Kast was said to be too close to dictatorship. All the more ironic that “white knight” Boric is now reaching into the dictatorship trick box at the very first opportunity.

More: Chile news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

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