Carabineros possible cause of fire in Chile

The suspicions that the fire of the emblematic Alameda Art Center in this capital was caused by police officers, was reiterated by Roser Fort, director of that institution.

In an interview with Radio Biobio, Forte said one of the projectiles launched by police forces fell on the roof of this Center, unleashing the fire that destroyed the building and explained that 'at times they throw a huge amount of tear gas bombs. Of those we feel some fell on the ceiling'.

The official considered that some of the tear gas bounced and fall in a place where it was unattainable and that lit the flames, although she was in favor of waiting for the result of the investigation, but insisted that 'it was not a molotov that rose several meters, but a projectile thrown to the roof '.

The Alameda Art Center was very close to the Plaza de la Dignidad, epicenter of the popular demonstrations in this capital since the social outbreak of October 18, and at its headquarters there was a first-aid point to treat the wounded in the protests.

Fort also said that solidarity after the incident has been enormous and said that despite the destruction of the center, one of the main institutions promoting culture in the capital, 'together we will be able to raise this space so that it remains a platform for art and culture. '

The fire of the Art Center was one of the most notorious violent events during the protest day on Friday, when a protester also died at the edge of the night when he fell into a pit with electrical installations when he was fleeing from police repression, in the near the Plaza de la Dignidad.

Meanwhile, the questioned mayor of the Metropolitan region, Felipe Guevara, avoided referring to the suspicions that weigh on police and limited himself to expressing that the Investigation Police takes charge of both facts.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, throughout the day hundreds of people went to the place where the protester died, who in social networks is identified as Mauricio Fredes, 33, where they placed flowers and candles, but at dusk they were evicted by the carabineros Watercraft cars.

Mayor Guevara and the chief of police, Mario Rozas, have been accused by social organizations, human rights and opposition parties for the violent repression unleashed in recent days in the Plaza de la Dignidad and its surroundings. They have been taken over by a huge police deployment to prevent any demonstration.