On Tuesday 3,500 workers shut down the main ports of San Antonio and Valparaiso, in the central part of the country, and Iquique and Tocopilla in the north. Forty workers were arrested on Wednesday in street protests. On Thursday, workers in the northern ports of Arica and Coquimbo and in the southern port of Talcahuano joined the strike. On the same day dockers' union leaders acceded to pleas from Interior Minister Raul Troncoso and President Eduardo Frei for a suspension of the strike while talks took place. However, union leader Walter Astorga said that if there were no resolution on Monday, the strike would resume on Tuesday.
Chilean ports are currently at the height of the fruit-exporting season.
The stoppage affected 70 percent of exports and imports and caused more than a million dollars in losses in fruit and copper exports. Much of the fruit spoiled on the docks. The workers acted in expectation that the privatizations will mean the destruction of many jobs. They are demanding retraining facilities, increased severance pay and an early retirement program. Colombian guerrilla offensive Electricity is being rationed in the cities of Cartagena and Santa Marta on the Caribbean coast of Colombia due to increased attacks from guerrilla forces in the Antioquia department of northwest Colombia.