MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Spain offers to replace Chile as host of COP25 climate summit

“On Wednesday I spoke to Spanish President Pedro Sanchez, who made a generous offer to host the COP25 summit in Madrid,” Piñera said

Chile's President Sebastian Piñera said on Thursday that Spain has offered to host the COP25 climate conference in December after he abandoned plans to hold it in Santiago following violent protests.

“On Wednesday I spoke to Spanish President Pedro Sanchez, who made a generous offer to host the COP25 summit in Madrid,” he said, adding that it might still go ahead on the original scheduled dates of Dec 2 to 13.

This comes a day after Piñera announced Chile had withdrawn as host of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) trade summit in November and the COP25 climate conference in December after several weeks of violent unrest.

Chile is grappling with its worst social crisis in decades that shows little sign of abating despite Piñera announcing a raft of measures aimed at placating protesters.

Demonstrators have demanded that the conservative leader - whose personal fortune is estimated by Forbes at US$2.8 billion - step down.

They have been angered by low salaries and pensions, poor public health care and education, and a yawning gap between the rich and poor.