Chile's main ports continued paralyzed as negotiations between striking workers and authorities are at an impasse and ugly skirmishes with police play out amid millions of cases of perishable export produce which are likely to spoil.
Stoppages spread across Chile as workers claim they are owed thousands of dollars in compensation agreed to in resolution to strikes last year. Fruit exports in Central Chile and copper shipments in the North have been stalled as workers from several major ports across the country have gone on strike, raising fears the export-oriented economy could see a repeat of last year's strikes which lasted three weeks and cost millions of dollars.