Chile: ATMs destroyed, shut down amid violent protests. Is a Bitcoin spike coming?

Week-long protests have erupted in violence in the streets of Chile, long considered a beacon of stability in an otherwise unstable region. And citizens of the South American nation have reportedly lost access to ATMs. Could Chileans follow in Hong Kong protestor’s footsteps and find refuge in Bitcoin?

The government of President Sebastian Piñera has responded with a heavy hand to what initially began as peaceful protests over a 4 percent hike to public-transportation fares. Student protests turned violent, and the government has responded in kind, essentially militarizing the country, which is now under a national state of emergency.

“We are in a new reality,” Piñera said of his country over the weekend, according to the BBC. “Chile is different from what it was a week ago.” 

According to Chile’s National Institute for Human Rights, 20 Chileans have died so far during the protests, while another 1,100 have been injured and more than 3,200 arrested. The violence has also…