On the 18th (National Day) and 19th ( Army Day)of September the Chilean celebrate they founding of their nation in an atmosphere sort of like the American 4th of July with a asados (barbques), a giant picnic in Santiago where there is a military parade. This army officer readies his gear before heading out in front of his command and the thousands of picnic goers who eat, party and watch their children, husbands, wives and family parade by in their class A uniforms.
Young army conscripts stand in dress formation during the parade of the military. This passing of the military is in front of thousands of picnic goers and the president of the country. Many families come to see their sons and daughters proudly parade in their spotlessly clean uniforms for the first time.
Every two years, Santiago, Chile hosts the FIDAE arms sales convention at the Aeropuerto Internacional Arturo Merino BenÃtez. They sale all types of weapons including missiles, tanks, aircraft, bombs, small arms and systems to make war. Many corporations from many counties around the globe bring in their newest 'toys of death' to show off for possible sales to other counties defense ministers.
For the past ten years, Chile has been undergoing a
revolution in student activism aimed at achieving equal distribution of the nation's wealth for all the public schools. It sort of jumped started in 2001 with this protest about the hike in bus fares for students that use the inner city bus system in Santiago which had been free up to this points.
The day long battle of cat and mouse tactics by both the police and the students run up and down Santiago's main through fare on the hot summer day. Here is a good sized mob of students. I found that many students would come with their girlfriends to show their bravery in front of their pololas (girlfriends). Sometimes they stop in the midst of the action for some kissing and hugging.