Chile's Prez calls for end to unrest in Christmas message

Santiago, Dec 25 (IANS) In a Christmas Eve address, Chile's President Sebastian Pinera called for an end to more than two months of anti-government protests and greater political cooperation.Pinera on Tuesday urged unity and conciliation not just with protesters, but also among his own ruling coalition of four parties, Chile Vamos, which has been divided by differences of opinion on how to deal with the political and social unrest, Xinhua news reported."A divided country ... doesn't have a good future. A united country that respects its differences but is capable of building together is a country that has a bright future," said the President."Leave behind all these feelings of conflict, of division, of confrontation and look for what unites us, instead of looking for what sets us apart," he added.In mid-October, massive protests broke out against a hike in subway fares in the capital Santiago, and quickly spread throughout the country, fuelled by anger at Chile's inability to distribute the country's wealth, leading to growing inequality.

Chileans will vote in an April 26 plebiscite on whether to rewrite the Constitution to better address economic and social disparities.
--IANS sdr/