Woman dies after suffering wounds in Chile indigenous march
Santiago de Chile, Oct 10 (EFE).- A 43-year-old woman died of injuries that she suffered during a violent incident in a march for indigenous people in Chile on Sunday, health officials said.
The woman who participated in the march breathed her last while doctors were operating on her, said the officials.
Denisse Cortés, a law student and member of the Popular Defender’s Office, was hit on the neck that caused injuries.
Civilian health brigades guarding the march attended her first.
The security forces said a firecracker to target police hit the lawyer.
However, social organizations and the victim’s family questioned the police version, saying the security forces had lobbed tear gas canisters at protesters.
“They were saying that maybe it was a firework. Nobody believes it (..). They cannot overwhelm or trample us,” Denisse Cortés’s mother said.
Security head Enrique Monrás said a group of protesters wearing hoodies attacked police with fireworks, and one of the crackers hit a protester.
Social media videos showed the lawyer was near a group of police officers when fireworks detonated a few meters away, followed by a tear gas shot by security personnel.
Hundreds of people attended the march in Plaza Italia in the Chilean capital.
Police arrested at least ten demonstrators while 18 people, including the lawyer, were reported wounded.
Police used water cannons and tear gas canisters to disperse the marchers.
The news of the death sparked sharp reactions, calling for an end to repression and impunity.
“The brutal repression by security forces in the march ended in the painful death of Denisse Cortés. Responsibilities must be fixed as soon as possible,” Communist party MP Camila Vallejo said.
Vallejo asked why police did not allow timely attention after the woman suffered injuries. EFE
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