The news: http://santiagotimes.cl/state-security-law-invoked-to-deal-with-angry-drivers/

 The news written by Linn Helene Loken, talks about the conflict which “colectivo” drivers have with the government of Michelle Bachelet. The last Thursday (18^th of November), the drivers make a strike; they were blocking streets of many cities of Chile. The protestors insist on get some facilities for their work, like to be exempt from the combustible fuel tax, be available for them to receive a government bonus for the upkeep of vehicles and subsidies, as to those granted to Transantiago, the protesters were also demanding about not being able to drive in bus lanes, because they consider themselves a part of public transportation.

In this context, the government invoked the state security law; Carabineros say they arrested 10 drivers at the moment of the strike. Matias Salazar, Santiago’s Regional Secretary of Transport, justify the decision based on the “violence” against the freedom and security of Chilean people.

This is a strange form to confront the laboral claim of the union, in general, we use to hear the use of this judicial tool in cases associated to Mapuche conflict, being in all the opportunities an issue of controversy, but, sadly, it isn’t new to inkove the state security law in this matter, it was already used against port workers in San Antonio, (January in 2014), and against the Aysen Movement in 2012.

I choose this news because I believe that social sciences cannot be left indifferent in this matters, I read in the “colectivo” drives conflict an economic problem, an utilitarian demand, but it’s not a political movement, I remembered the strike made by Manuel Navarrete, Orlando Panza, Marcel Antoine, Armando Huerta y Demetrio Marinakis, owner of yellow buses, before the introduction of Transantiago. I think it’s so interesting, trying at least, propose alternatives readings of political processes in macro and micro structures, although it was a little text J