The Meaning of a Stone

Security is key to the country’s development, and as things stand, it could end up being the main problem for it.

9 attacks in 3 days in the Southern Macrozone, a shooting in the middle of the morning in front of a kindergarten in Quilicura and the attack on Carabineros, Maritime Police, and municipal personnel in Antofagasta by an irregular migrant who was being detained and was carrying a knife. All in the same week. But the icing on the cake was the stone thrown that hit the President’s chief of staff, which was aimed at him. The elastic cannot be stretched any further. Concrete measures are urgently needed!

In January, the Bicentennial survey indicated that acceptance of violence as a form of expression had taken root in civil society. At that time, the result was concerning, but we did not think it would materialize so quickly. The issues in the north and south have intensified, and violence in our streets persists. Authorities were warned before taking office, and even some radicalized groups from La Araucanía sent their threats in writing. However, their eagerness to do things differently, without using force and demonstrating that cooperation is the way forward, has led them down a path of immobility where words are not enough.

“They will not intimidate us; we will continue talking to the people,” President Boric said yesterday at a press conference following the incident in La Serena. He will not file a complaint either. What kind of signals are those?! In the end, the message conveyed is: continue attacking the President of the Republic; after all, nothing will happen to you. In what part of the world do such things happen?! The President is the primary leader of the nation and deserves respect for that reason alone and has every right to demand respect.

We have been a month and 12 days with the new government. It is true that mistakes were made, and some cost the Minister of the Interior her silence. But it is time to leave behind the illusion and face reality. Security is key to the country’s development, and as things stand, it could end up being the main problem for it. 

We return to the origin of it all: the signals, those messages and actions that set the tone and define the roadmap. In the end, a stone is just a simple piece of earth, but when put in context, it is no longer so simple. The President must react and strongly condemn the act. Whether or not he files a complaint is another matter, but if small violent acts like that are not condemned, what can we expect from the protests that disrupt public order and the lives of those who live and work around Plaza Italia every Friday? 

I am not saying that dialogue is not the way, but in matters of security and violence, the State has powerful tools to send strong and clear signals. Continuing to stretch the elastic of dialogue could cost very dearly. Today it was a stone; tomorrow it will be something else. For the good of the country and its citizens, I would urge the President not to hesitate to use force when necessary. There is a reason he has the monopoly and authority for its legitimate use. The rule of law is something that takes centuries to build, and Chile is no exception, so let us not allow violence to advance. In this case, a stone is not just a stone. 

Pilar Lizana
Researcher at AthenaLab

Source: El Líbero