MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Young Combatants Day in Chile leaves one dead, 232 arrests

Carabineros clashed and arrested dozens of young protesters

A young man was killed early Sunday morning during the violent protest commemorating Young Combatants Day. The victim, identified as 24 year old René Palma, was shot and killed by a group of hooded protestors who, according to local news, thought he was a police infiltrator.

The protests began on Friday - the day before the annual commemoration of the killing of young brothers Rafael and Eduardo Vergara Toledo on March 29, 1985, during the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship. On Friday, 300 Chilean students marched to La Moneda presidential palace and clashed with the police. When the students started throwing rocks, the police responded with tear gas and arrests. The protests caused traffic jams on the city's main avenues and there were also a few bomb threats throughout Santiago. On Saturday, several cultural events were organized to commemorate the Vergara brothers. Still, the day ended with riots occurring in the Pudahuel Sur and the Villa Francia neighborhoods, close to where the young brothers were killed 23 years ago. As a result of the nighttime violence, 232 people were detained, the majority minors. Local media also reported that a policeman was seriously injured. Other protests occurred in the cities La Serena, Valparaíso, Temuco and Concepción. President Michelle Bachelet, responding to the violence, said there is no justification for the acts of delinquency. "A guarantee of democracy, which allows people to non-violently express themselves, is the right path. I think that would be the best kind of homage to the Vergara brothers," she said. The "Young Combatants Day" has been marred by violence since its inception. Last year, for example, was marked by bombs, flying rocks and teargas, as protesters trashed stores, banks and buses. Over 800 arrests were made and dozens of police were injured. Still, this year's violence was quite tame compared to previous years, which were often marred by more deaths and detentions. Interior Ministry Undersecretary Felipe Harboe said that many of the weekend's arrests resulted from bomb threats, damage of public and private property and the carrying of illegal arms. The Santiago Times