MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Man sets himself ablaze in front of La Moneda Palace in Santiago

The man was reported to have said that “a superior being” had ordered him to act that way

A 35-year-old man set himself ablaze bonzo style in front of Chile's Presidential La Moneda Palace after being told to do so by “a superior being.” He was reported to have 65% of his body affected, with his chances of survival still uncertain.

The incident took place at around 8 pm local time (UTC -3). First aid responders rushed him to a medical facility nearby. According to Carabineros sources, the man sprayed some accelerant liquid on himself before the ignition at the Plaza Las Culturas, in front of La Moneda.

Dr. Jorge Ibáñez, deputy medical director of the former Posta Central, the medical facility where the subject was hospitalized, said the patient had severe burns on 65% of his body, mainly affecting the upper part, including the respiratory tract. The person was later operated on, the physician also noted while explaining that this type of patient usually suffered respiratory complications from the inhalation of extremely hot air. “There is a suspicion of an inhalation injury at the pulmonary level, which will be evaluated after surgery,” Ibáñez noted. “This is a patient with a great compromise of the body,” he went on. The man was sedated under general anesthesia and placed in the Critical Burn Patient Unit.

#Hombre Se Prende Fuego a Lo Bonzo Frente a La Moneda. pic.twitter.com/tJbyB9aINh

— InfosChile (@INF0SCHILE) September 10, 2024

“At this moment, his condition is serious and his prognosis is reserved,” Ibáñez also underlined. “It is an extremely delicate case, and all future interventions will depend on how the patient responds in the next few hours.”

Meanwhile, a Carabineros squad is investigating the circumstances surrounding this most unusual event.