Pensioners struggling to survive join Chile protests

  • In this Nov. 5, 2019 photo, retired Maria Gonzalez, 77, works selling tissue and toilet paper in downtown Santiago, Chile. Reforms to Chile’s dictatorship-era pension system has emerged as one of the key demands of the massive mobilizations that continue to consume the South American nation. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
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    Chile Protests Pensioners

    In this Nov. 5, 2019 photo, retired Maria Gonzalez, 77, works selling tissue and toilet paper in downtown Santiago, Chile. Reforms to Chile’s dictatorship-era pension system has emerged as one of the key demands of the massive mobilizations that continue to consume the South American nation. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
  • In this Nov. 4, 2019 photo, retired Segundo Vergara, 69, works cleaning the Plaza de Armas in downtown Santiago, Chile. Vergara, who earns 400,000 pesos ($530) a month as a cleaner, said while attending a demonstration in Santiago that if his wife wasn’t working, “we would be living off bread and water, eating rice and pasta every day.” (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
    2/9

    Chile Protests Pensioners

    In this Nov. 4, 2019 photo, retired Segundo Vergara, 69, works cleaning the Plaza de Armas in downtown Santiago, Chile. Vergara, who earns 400,000 pesos ($530) a month as a cleaner, said while attending a demonstration in Santiago that if his wife wasn’t working, “we would be living off bread and water, eating rice and pasta every day.” (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
  • In this Nov. 5, 2019 photo, retired Maria Gonzalez, 77, poses for a photo as she takes a break from selling tissue and toilet paper in downtown Santiago, Chile. Gonzalez says she is tired of waking up, Monday to Friday, to sell toilet paper in the Chilean capital. Her meager $146 monthly pension puts her below the poverty line, which in Chile is around $222 a month. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
    3/9

    Chile Protests Pensioners

    In this Nov. 5, 2019 photo, retired Maria Gonzalez, 77, poses for a photo as she takes a break from selling tissue and toilet paper in downtown Santiago, Chile. Gonzalez says she is tired of waking up, Monday to Friday, to sell toilet paper in the Chilean capital. Her meager $146 monthly pension puts her below the poverty line, which in Chile is around $222 a month. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
  • In this Nov. 4, 2019 photo, retired Rosa Lara, 74, poses for a photo inside a philately store in downtown of Santiago, Chile. The protests in Chile include struggling retirees as well as others seeking better salaries, subsidized housing, a decrease in the cost of medicine and a new constitution. Many also want to overhaul a dictatorship-era private pension system that is widely criticized in a country with a rapidly aging population. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
    4/9

    Chile Protests Pensioners

    In this Nov. 4, 2019 photo, retired Rosa Lara, 74, poses for a photo inside a philately store in downtown of Santiago, Chile. The protests in Chile include struggling retirees as well as others seeking better salaries, subsidized housing, a decrease in the cost of medicine and a new constitution. Many also want to overhaul a dictatorship-era private pension system that is widely criticized in a country with a rapidly aging population. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
  • In this Nov. 4, 2019 photo, retired Magdalena Alvarez, 64, walks away after taking part in a protest against Chile's President Sebastian Pinera, in downtown Santiago, Chile. Álvarez, who works at a human rights organization and has a disability pension, said that the existing pension system needs to go “because in the end, the people who win are the ones who are managing the money.” (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
    5/9

    Chile Protests Pensioners

    In this Nov. 4, 2019 photo, retired Magdalena Alvarez, 64, walks away after taking part in a protest against Chile's President Sebastian Pinera, in downtown Santiago, Chile. Álvarez, who works at a human rights organization and has a disability pension, said that the existing pension system needs to go “because in the end, the people who win are the ones who are managing the money.” (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
  • In this Nov. 4, 2019 photo, retired Emilio Monardes, 78, works as a street merchant in downtown Santiago, Chile. More than 1.2-million Chileans receive a pension that is less than $216 a month, well below the minimum salary of $400. Many retirees work in the informal sector to make ends meet. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
    6/9

    Chile Protests Pensioners

    In this Nov. 4, 2019 photo, retired Emilio Monardes, 78, works as a street merchant in downtown Santiago, Chile. More than 1.2-million Chileans receive a pension that is less than $216 a month, well below the minimum salary of $400. Many retirees work in the informal sector to make ends meet. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
  • In this Nov. 4, 2019 photo, retired Jose Urzua, 74, poses for a photo at his work at a store that sells spare parts for blenders, in downtown Santiago, Chile. The protests in Chile include struggling retirees as well as others seeking better salaries, subsidized housing, a decrease in the cost of medicine and a new constitution. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
    7/9

    Chile Protests Pensioners

    In this Nov. 4, 2019 photo, retired Jose Urzua, 74, poses for a photo at his work at a store that sells spare parts for blenders, in downtown Santiago, Chile. The protests in Chile include struggling retirees as well as others seeking better salaries, subsidized housing, a decrease in the cost of medicine and a new constitution. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
  • In this Nov. 12, 2019 photo, anti-government demonstrators carry a sign representing Chile's Constitution during protests, in Santiago, Chile. In 1981, during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, Chile enacted a pension system that requires all workers to allocate 10% of their earnings to privately run pension fund administrators, known by their Spanish initials of AFP. Those who haven’t made contributions, or have very few, receive a basic pension from the state that amounts to $146 a month. That minimum wasn’t introduced until 2008 under the government of Michelle Bachelet, and later modified in response to public demands. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
    8/9

    Chile Protests Pensioners

    In this Nov. 12, 2019 photo, anti-government demonstrators carry a sign representing Chile's Constitution during protests, in Santiago, Chile. In 1981, during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, Chile enacted a pension system that requires all workers to allocate 10% of their earnings to privately run pension fund administrators, known by their Spanish initials of AFP. Those who haven’t made contributions, or have very few, receive a basic pension from the state that amounts to $146 a month. That minimum wasn’t introduced until 2008 under the government of Michelle Bachelet, and later modified in response to public demands. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
  • In this Nov. 5, 2019 photo, retired Nestor Osorio, 66, poses for a photo after a day of work in downtown Santiago, Chile. What started on Oct. 18 as a student protest over a modest subway fare hike has ballooned into a massive, mostly peaceful social uprising that continues to consume Chile. The protests include struggling retirees. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
    9/9

    Chile Protests Pensioners

    In this Nov. 5, 2019 photo, retired Nestor Osorio, 66, poses for a photo after a day of work in downtown Santiago, Chile. What started on Oct. 18 as a student protest over a modest subway fare hike has ballooned into a massive, mostly peaceful social uprising that continues to consume Chile. The protests include struggling retirees. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
In this Nov. 5, 2019 photo, retired Maria Gonzalez, 77, works selling tissue and toilet paper in downtown Santiago, Chile. Reforms to Chile’s dictatorship-era pension system has emerged as one of the key demands of the massive mobilizations that continue to consume the South American nation. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
In this Nov. 4, 2019 photo, retired Segundo Vergara, 69, works cleaning the Plaza de Armas in downtown Santiago, Chile. Vergara, who earns 400,000 pesos ($530) a month as a cleaner, said while attending a demonstration in Santiago that if his wife wasn’t working, “we would be living off bread and water, eating rice and pasta every day.” (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
In this Nov. 5, 2019 photo, retired Maria Gonzalez, 77, poses for a photo as she takes a break from selling tissue and toilet paper in downtown Santiago, Chile. Gonzalez says she is tired of waking up, Monday to Friday, to sell toilet paper in the Chilean capital. Her meager $146 monthly pension puts her below the poverty line, which in Chile is around $222 a month. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
In this Nov. 4, 2019 photo, retired Rosa Lara, 74, poses for a photo inside a philately store in downtown of Santiago, Chile. The protests in Chile include struggling retirees as well as others seeking better salaries, subsidized housing, a decrease in the cost of medicine and a new constitution. Many also want to overhaul a dictatorship-era private pension system that is widely criticized in a country with a rapidly aging population. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
In this Nov. 4, 2019 photo, retired Magdalena Alvarez, 64, walks away after taking part in a protest against Chile's President Sebastian Pinera, in downtown Santiago, Chile. Álvarez, who works at a human rights organization and has a disability pension, said that the existing pension system needs to go “because in the end, the people who win are the ones who are managing the money.” (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
In this Nov. 4, 2019 photo, retired Emilio Monardes, 78, works as a street merchant in downtown Santiago, Chile. More than 1.2-million Chileans receive a pension that is less than $216 a month, well below the minimum salary of $400. Many retirees work in the informal sector to make ends meet. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
In this Nov. 4, 2019 photo, retired Jose Urzua, 74, poses for a photo at his work at a store that sells spare parts for blenders, in downtown Santiago, Chile. The protests in Chile include struggling retirees as well as others seeking better salaries, subsidized housing, a decrease in the cost of medicine and a new constitution. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
In this Nov. 12, 2019 photo, anti-government demonstrators carry a sign representing Chile's Constitution during protests, in Santiago, Chile. In 1981, during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, Chile enacted a pension system that requires all workers to allocate 10% of their earnings to privately run pension fund administrators, known by their Spanish initials of AFP. Those who haven’t made contributions, or have very few, receive a basic pension from the state that amounts to $146 a month. That minimum wasn’t introduced until 2008 under the government of Michelle Bachelet, and later modified in response to public demands. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
In this Nov. 5, 2019 photo, retired Nestor Osorio, 66, poses for a photo after a day of work in downtown Santiago, Chile. What started on Oct. 18 as a student protest over a modest subway fare hike has ballooned into a massive, mostly peaceful social uprising that continues to consume Chile. The protests include struggling retirees. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
Associated Press
Updated
0

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Seventy-seven-year-old María Gonzalez is tired of waking up, Monday to Friday, to sell toilet paper in the Chilean capital. Her meager $146 monthly pension puts her below the poverty line, which in Chile is around $222 a month.

She’s an example of the pension dilemma has helped feed nearly a month of protests against social inequality in Chile.

Many want to overhaul a dictatorship-era private pension system that is widely criticized in a country with a rapidly aging population.

More than 1.2-million Chileans receive a pension that is less than $216 a month, well below the minimum salary of $400. Like Gonzalez, many retirees need to work in the informal sector to make ends meet.

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