[ti:Chile’s Protesters Voice Anger Over Inequality, Services] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]Many people in Chile are getting involved in a debate [00:04.96]about the South American country's future after weeks of violent unrest. [00:12.92]Some of the discussion comes from groups like the Social Unity Roundtable, [00:20.09]a civil society group that seeks to represent students, [00:25.96]workers, environmental groups and others. [00:32.12]It estimates that 10,000 people have attended different meetings across the country. [00:41.60]The meetings center on discussions about inequality, [00:46.54]government services and the constitution. [00:52.76]President Sebastián Pi?era has answered the protests [00:58.40]by replacing cabinet ministers with ones who are considered more moderate. [01:05.48]That action has not satisfied the demonstrators. [01:11.84]A planned increase in the price for public transportation [01:16.80]appears to have fueled long-held frustration about the cost of living [01:23.81]and unequal division of wealth in the country. [01:29.24]The government has since withdrawn the rate increase. [01:34.40]But people also are angry over poor quality government services [01:40.75]and long waits for medical care. [01:45.44]The violence that has spread across the country in recent weeks [01:50.88]has caused at least 23 deaths and injured more than 2,000 people. [01:59.52]More than 7,000 people have been arrested and the protests have cost [02:06.34]an estimated $3 billion in damage and lost earnings, Reuters reports. [02:16.28]Public opinion studies suggest that a majority support the protests. [02:24.32]But people are also upset about the damage [02:28.58]to the country's businesses and transportation system. [02:34.80]Pi?era has grown unpopular. [02:38.30]He now faces accusations of human rights abuses by his government. [02:46.64]Last week, United Nations Human Rights Commissioner [02:51.61]Michelle Bachelet sent a team to investigate. [02:57.60]Bachelet is a former president of Chile. [03:03.68]Chile's Human Rights National Institute is preparing legal cases [03:09.57]related to accusations of killings and torture, including sexual violence. [03:18.28]Luis Torres is a computer engineer and physics professor. [03:25.40]He said he wants a new government and to push the president from office. [03:32.24]"We want a new constituent assembly, a new constitution [03:37.56]and to impeach Pi?era for crimes against humanity committed in recent days," Torres said. [03:48.60]Torres is 58 years old. [03:51.97]He is nearing the retirement age of 65 [03:56.96]when he will receive only a small percentage of his former yearly earnings. [04:04.60]He said, "With two university degrees, [04:08.68]I'm going to retire with 200,000 pesos ($270) per month." [04:19.24]He said he makes seven or eight times that amount now. [04:25.56]Some people are also discussing Chile's 1980 constitution. [04:32.92]General Augusto Pinochet approved the document during his military rule. [04:40.32]Critics say the constitution fails to guarantee basic rights such as public healthcare. [04:48.88]They say it does not represent modern Chile. [04:54.84]Some opposition parties have called for a new constitution. [05:02.24]Cristian Diaz spoke to Reuters recently [05:06.69]at a gathering in the central part of Santiago, the nation's capital. [05:14.56]"The first act of revolution is to get together with others [05:19.71]because the system wants you alone, it wants you to be an individualist," Diaz said. [05:29.24]"This is incredible to see so many people...united by the same cause, debating," he said. [05:39.64]I'm Mario Ritter Jr. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM