Chilean president shakes up government amid mass protests

President Sebastian Pinera announced the impending cabinet shake-up on Saturday following protests a day earlier which drew more than one million people onto the streets of the capital, Santiago.

Mr Pinera said he had heard the message, and said “we have all changed” because of the protests, which were triggered by a small subway fare hike but quickly exploded into anger over economic inequality.

The president has already reacted by taking measures including raising the minimum wage and pensions, as well as scrapping the fare increase.

Mr Pinera, a conservative, said: “The march we all saw yesterday was a massive and peaceful march … We have all heard the message. We have all changed.”