Chilean President Replaces Key Ministers Amid Nationwide Protests
Chilean President Sebastian Pinera has reshuffled the government amid mass protests, replacing key ministers
Economist Ignacio Briones was appointed as the country's new finance minister, while Lucas Palacios from the Public Works Ministry took the post of the minister of economy. The appointments were broadcast by the president on Twitter.
Pinera has also replaced the interior minister, Andres Chadwick, with the former head of the presidential administration Gonzalo Blumel.
Chile has been mired in protests since October 6, when the authorities increased subway fares.
What started as peaceful public demonstrations has turned into wider discontent with social policies and violent clashes with law enforcement agencies. At least 19 people have been killed as a result of the unrest.
The country's authorities have since proposed a series of measures to calm the protesters, promising to allocate $1.2 billion to solve social problems. They have also introduced a curfew in a number of cities, yet protesters frequently defy it.