In an unusual event, President Gabriel Boric instructed Interior Minister Álvaro Elizalde on Thursday morning to travel to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to personally review the condition of the injured and detained Chileans following the serious incidents at the match between Independiente and Universidad de Chile on Wednesday, August 20.
PUBLICIDAD
The president stated through social media that Minister Elizalde will accompany the work of the Chilean ambassador in Argentina, José Antonio Viera-Gallo, who has been reviewing the situation of Chilean fans since Wednesday night.
PUBLICIDAD
“Given the seriousness of what happened yesterday in Argentina with the unacceptable lynching of Chileans at Independiente stadium, I have instructed the Minister of the Interior, Álvaro Elizalde, to travel to Buenos Aires to personally accompany the injured along with the Ambassador, and review the situation of the detainees.”
In his message, President Boric also reiterated his condemnation of the violence that occurred between the fans of the Argentine and Chilean teams during the Copa Sudamericana match.
“Violence has no justification whatsoever, from any side, and we will protect the rights of our citizens without prejudice to the responsibilities that justice may establish,” stated the President.
Suspension of the game and people seriously injured
The match was suspended at the 4th minute of the second half, with the score tied 1-1, after fans of “U” and Independiente started throwing projectiles at each other.
As a result of the serious acts of violence, there are a total of 19 fans of the University of Chile injured and 97 detained, as confirmed by the authorities and the concessionaire Azul Azul.
“There is a person who is intubated, who is in the operating room and that is the most serious of all. It is the one who fell from a height,” said the president of Azul Azul, Michael Clark, adding that despite the magnitude of the events, no fatalities have been reported."
“From what we understand, there are no fatalities, at least in these three hospitals, which are the hospitals where supposedly all the seriously ill people were taken,” stated the leader after visiting healthcare centers during the early morning.