Earlier this week, high school students started demonstrations against the second fare increase of the year by jumping subway turnstiles. However, on Friday night, the protests escalated as demonstrators set fire to subway stations, banks, buses, and the headquarters of the largest electricity provider in the country, Enel. Looters also targeted supermarkets, stores, and pharmacies. The violence resulted in one student being killed by the police and another injured by rubber bullets. The unrest in Latin America's capital city, one of the most prosperous and orderly in the region, prompted President Piñera to declare a state of emergency, giving the army control over internal security. Piñera justified the measure as necessary to restore order after chaos caused by what he referred to as "delinquents." The fare increase, announced on Oct 6, exacerbated anger as the cost of living for poor and middle-class families continues to rise while wages stagnate. Isabel Mora, an 82-year-old retiree with a monthly pension of around $62, expressed her frustration over the unfairness of the situation where transportation fares, electricity, gas, and other expenses are increasing while salaries remain low. President Piñera had promised to address the rising transportation costs earlier in the week, but with rush hour rides now costing approximately $1.20, protests erupted at subway stations on Friday afternoon. Demonstrators refused to pay, leading to clashes with special police units who used tear gas, violence, and arrests to control the situation. The subway system ceased operations for multiple lines, ultimately closing down the entire network by nighttime. This left hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals stranded on the streets, unable to board crowded buses and forced to walk for hours to reach their destinations. Government officials condemned the protesters as "organised vandals" and "criminals," and declared their intention to enforce a security law allowing for harsher penalties. Residents in the capital expressed their discontent by banging pots and pans throughout the city on Friday night. During the looting of supermarkets and the setting up of barricades, it seemed that the police had withdrawn to their stations. These protests coincided with Chile getting ready to host two significant international conferences: an APEC summit in mid-November and the UN Climate Change Conference in December.