Members of the Chilean community in London gathered on Friday in front of the official residence of Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Downing Street to protest Chilean president Sebastian Pinera's visit to the UK, a Sputnik correspondent reported
LONDON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th September, 2021) Members of the Chilean community in London gathered on Friday in front of the official residence of Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Downing Street to protest Chilean president Sebastian Pinera's visit to the UK, a Sputnik correspondent reported.
"Say it loud, say it clear, we don't want Pinera here," chanted the protestors, who were holding Chilean and Mapuche (Chile's indigenous people) flags and placards accusing the Chilean head of state of crimes against humanity for the supression of recent protests in the South American nation.
Pinera, who arrived in London on Thursday evening for the last leg of a European tour that also brought him to France, Spain and Italy, was greeted by Johnson in front of his residence, but Downing Street has so far given no details about the meeting.
Cristina Navarrete, who was arrested and tortured after Augusto Pinochet's coup against President Salvador Allende in 1973, told Sputnik that Pinera's visit to London was an "insult to all our comrades in Chile who have suffered the consequences of his brutal government."
She accused Pinera of systematically violating the human rights of thousands of people who have allegedly been arrested and tortured over the last few years for protesting against the government.
"I think it is very, very disappointing that the UK government and Boris Johnson in particular had received with honor a man who has also been accused of stealing and fraud back in Chile," she said.
Carlos Gonzalez, a member of the Chilean Assembly of London and coordinator of the Chilean European Network, told Sputnik that they sent Johnson a letter asking him to urge Pinera to prosecute police officers who committed atrocities in Chile, and release the 4,000 people still in prison following the 2019-2020 social protests.
Later on, protestors walked to the Chilean embassy in London to hold a vigil in tribute to the victims of the September 11, 1973 Pinochet coup.
