Chile

The Latin American and Caribbean Antimilitarist Network (RAMALC) has shared this call for International Conscientious Objection Day. It's an invitation to stand against militarisation and war, refusing to be part of systems built on violence and exploitation. Don't count on us advocates for conscientious objection, antimilitarism, and solidarity all around the world.

Found in 1976, Nurol Makina is a Turkish defence company, specialising in the manufacture of armoured vehicles used by military, police, and security forces around the world. Nurol Makina is owned by Nurol Holding, a conglomerate which owns a range of companies covering the construction, defence manufacturing, energy, investment banking and tourism industries. A number of other companies owned by Nurol Holding are focused on manufacturing weapons.

In Chile in October 2019, a historic social uprising took place, unexpectedly for the vast majority. More and more people were joining the protests every day. The current government, tried to soften and ease the diffuse protests that occurred almost every day. Those attempts were so clumsy from a strategic and political point of view that finally a state of emergency and curfew were enforced. This resulted in the presence of the military on the street, reminiscent of the dictatorship era. In March, as these events continued to unfold, the first Covid-19 cases appeared. As the number of cases went up and fear overcame the population, the government saw a great opportunity to move attention away from the protests and toward the health emergency.

Chile has imported a new, 8-wheel water cannon from the Austrian company Rosenbauer.

The online newspaper Byline Times has challenged the UK's government over arms sales to Chile, after a Freedom of Information request found that 50% of the £164 million worth of arms licensed for sale since 2008 had been granted in the last year.

David Veloso Codoceo, a Chilean soldier, 21, was detained at the end of October after refusing to follow a service order to move to Santiago after curfew . After 21 days of being detained, he got realesed.

For decades, Kibbutz Beit Alfa has sold riot control vehicles to despotic regimes such as Pinochet’s Chile and Nkunrunziza’s Burundi.

Each month, we feature a different WRI affiliate. This month it is the Chilean antimilitarist group Ni Casco Ni Uniforme (Neither Helmet nor Uniform - NCNU), who are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the libertarian antimilitarist group Ni Casco Ni Uniforme (Neither Helmet nor Uniform - NCNU). NCNU emerged as the NCNU Conscientious Objection Group, originating in Santiago de Chile in the context of democratic transition. Compulsory military service existed then and now in Chile. There was (and is still not) any law protecting conscientious objection to counterbalance this.

Militarism is much more than military institutions or people in uniform. The military sphere has to do with the lifestyles that people adopt, their way of seeing the world, of understanding social relationships or how effective a society can be.

There has been a recent intensification of raids in Mapuche communities, with children and adults injured, the increase in policing in the zone and its “militarisation”.