CHILE’S Human Rights Commission (CCHDH) has filed a criminal complaint against the country’s military police for the alleged illegal use of chemical weapons on protesters.

The lawsuit claims that Carabineros director Ricardo Yanez and Interior Minister Rodrigo Delgado allowed police to use chemical agents against demonstrators in the capital, Santiago.

It is alleged that tear gas and other chemicals were used in water cannons, leading protesters to suffer burns and corneal damage.

The complaint was lodged one month after protester Javiera Monsalves was seriously injured during an anti-government demonstration in Santiago.

CCHDH President Carlos Margotta said: “On November 8, Monsalves was diagnosed with a chemical infection in both eyes, severe damage to her right cornea, and extensive chemical dermatitis.”

A report filed as part of the complaint includes photographs and documents backing the claims of those who say they were injured through exposure to chemical weapons and police brutality.

The protests were triggered in October 2019 by a rise in the price of subsidised metro tickets.

The government responded by mobilising the military onto the streets for the first time since the Pinochet dictatorship.