Puricelli: Chilean marines xenophobic chantings 'unacceptable'

Defence Minister Arturo Puricelli called today “unacceptable” the chantings of Chilean marines inciting to kill Argentines, Bolivians and Peruvians.

The chantings were unacceptable. Fortunately Chilean President Sebastián Piñera has already taken care of the matter and expressed his disagreement with it”, Puricelli told Vorterix FM radio.

Chile’s government has called the incident as “highly embarrassing”, and has already order a deep investigation to identify and sanction all individuals responsible.

The dissemination of a video yesterday in which Chilean marines are seen marching while chanting “Argentines I will kill, Bolivians I will shoot, Peruvians I will cut their throats,” has unleashed a scandal in the trans-Andean nation, with chief-of-staff Cecilia Pérez calling it “shameful” and claiming it does “not accompany at all the spirit” of the “institution.” The Chilean Navy continued it will “investigate” the incident “accordingly” and “apply pertinent punishments.”

Likewise, the Minister indicated that “there are always chances of finding military instructors whose way of thinking are not in line with the present world. But I’m sure that Chilean authorities will do the right thing to correct it.”

To end, Puricelli said that the expressions coming form the Chilean marines were awkward as they “do not reflect nowadays good relationships and tights between South American nations.”

Bolivia’s Defence Ministry also expressed yesterday its rejection to the attitude of the repudiation