Young woman in life-threatening condition after being shot during overnight unrest in San Bernardo
A day of violent unrest marking the commemoration of the Day of the Young Combatant left one person seriously injured in the Metropolitan Region. The victim, a young woman shot in the abdomen in the commune of San Bernardo, remains hospitalized in life-threatening condition at a medical center. The incident adds to a series of burning barricades, gunfire directed at police, and traffic disruptions recorded in multiple parts of the capital during Sunday night and early Monday morning.
The commemoration of the Day of the Young Combatant was marked by a series of serious incidents that occurred between Sunday night and early Monday morning in different communes of the Metropolitan Region. The most severe event was recorded in the commune of San Bernardo, where a woman was seriously injured after being hit by a bullet amid clashes between protesters and police officers.
The incident occurred at around 10:00 p.m. near the Hospital El Pino metro station. The young woman was leaving the underground station when she suddenly encountered individuals erecting barricades and violently confronting Carabineros. As she tried to move away from the scene to take cover from the conflict, the victim was struck by a bullet in the abdomen, which exited through her back.
After sustaining the severe injury, the victim was rushed to Hospital El Pino, where healthcare professionals confirmed she remains in life-threatening condition. Despite the complex situation surrounding the hospital, Carabineros Public Order Control personnel had to intervene using a water cannon truck to contain the unrest and disperse those involved.
The altercations in San Bernardo continued for several hours until police forces managed to fully disperse the protesters. The incidents not only imperiled the safety of passersby, but also disrupted vehicular traffic and forced authorities to set up detours for public transportation routes in that sector of the capital.
Violence simultaneously spread to other areas of the Metropolitan Region. In the commune of Peñalolén, specifically in the Lo Hermida sector, Carabineros had to deploy water cannon sweeps to disperse people blocking traffic on Grecia Avenue, along the stretch between Tobalaba Avenue and Américo Vespucio Avenue.
In parallel, the commune of Cerro Navia recorded clashes at the intersection of Huelén and Mapocho streets. In this area, burning barricades were erected, and direct attacks against police officers took place. During the altercations, unidentified individuals opened fire with firearms at the officers deployed at the scene.
The commune of Estación Central was also the scene of unrest. In the Villa Francia sector, at the intersection of 5 de Abril and 7 de Octubre streets, groups of people disrupted traffic with fire and attacked Carabineros by throwing blunt objects and incendiary devices. Likewise, in Villa Portales within the same commune, hooded individuals clashed with police and blocked vehicular traffic on the General Velásquez highway.
Meanwhile, in the commune of Quilicura, incidents took place in the Parinacota neighborhood, where protesters blocked vehicular flow using burning barricades. In that context, unidentified individuals abandoned a Hyundai Accent vehicle inside the fire used in the protest. Following verification, authorities confirmed that the car had been reported stolen. The fire required the joint intervention of municipal personnel and a Carabineros water cannon truck.
So far, authorities have not released an overall report detailing the exact number of arrests or a final assessment of the property damage caused during the night of unrest in the capital.
