Reuters AlertNet Full site
Homepage | Newsdesk | NGO Latest | Crisis briefings | Country profiles | MediaWatch | Jobs | Alerting | Login

NEWSDESK

Man sets himself alight in Chile debt protest
04 Jan 2007 18:09:08 GMT
 Source: Reuters
SANTIAGO, Jan 4 (Reuters) - A man doused himself in fuel and set himself alight outside Chile's presidential palace on Thursday to protest housing debt. He survived and was arrested.

Television pictures showed the man in flames before he jumped into an ornamental pond in front of the La Moneda palace in the heart of the capital of Santiago.

The water extinguished the fire, allowing police to fish the protester out of the pond and arrest him.

He was hospitalized with burns over 11 percent of his body, local media reported.

Indebted house owners have staged a series of protests in Chile against what they see as extortionate rates they have to pay to service their mortgage debts.

They have targeted private banks but also the terms of the government's subsidized housing program.

"They took away my house, I'm on the street," the man shouted as he was led away.

Police said the man was carrying a file containing a letter to President Michelle Bachelet about his housing situation.


AlertNet news is provided by
Email this article       Send comments

Topics

•  Water

MORE >>

Countries

Small country map © 2004 Europa Technologies Ltd.
Reset map

•  Chile profile
· View map

MORE >>

NGO latest

•  Water for life in East Africa
CWS

•  Afghanistan: First wells in Kapisa province already drilled
PHO

•  Darfur: New violence threatens world's largest aid response
IRC - UK

•  southern Sudan: Medair sends an emergency water team to help prevent an outbreak of cholera.
Medair - Switzerland

•  The Pipeline to Lamra
Concern Worldwide - Ireland

MORE >>

Latest news

•  Man sets himself alight in Chile debt protest

•  KENYA: Floods displace more people in west and northeast regions

•  Rescuers search rough Java seas for ferry survivors

•  Huge ice shelf breaks free in Canada's far north

•  BURKINA FASO-GUINEA-NIGERIA-WEST AFRICA: IRIN-WA Weekly round-up 361 for 23-29 December 2006

MORE >>
Disclaimers |  Copyright |  Privacy |  Contact Us |  Feedback |  About Us |  RSS XML

Last updated:Thu Jan 4 18:34:14 2007