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(CNN Spanish) - The president of the National Chamber of Commerce, Services and Tourism of Chile, Manuel Melero, said in an interview with El Mercurio that the trade data for the month of October, when protests against the government began, They are "historically negative."
Melero says they expected falls because businesses remained closed for a long time during the protests. In addition, the political and social crisis unleashed a lack of trust in consumers.
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“People are afraid not only of going to an establishment or going out at certain times, but of going shopping, because people start to see that their work may be in danger or they are uncertain about the economy of the country, What is going to happen. So, he prefers to buy what is strictly necessary and the most essential things, since the others can wait a bit, ”said Melero.
The president of the Chamber of Commerce said he expects trade figures to improve in December with Christmas-time purchases, but he said, it has not been so.
“Sales are very slow this month, as I say, compared to the same month last year. The fear of being out of work and in general the economic situation is seen to greatly influence the purchase decision. It influences a lot because in our sector many jobs have been lost. At the beginning, commerce and tourism were paying a high cost for this situation of lack of public order. Now it has also affected other sectors, because if trade does not sell, manufacturing also suffers; the manufacturer, the importer need trade to flow and if it stagnates there are problems, ”he explained.
Protests in Chile began in October and sometimes became violent, leaving 20 people dead and more than 2,000 injured.
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