SANTIAGO, Aug 30, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - Chile on Monday summoned Brazil's
ambassador in Santiago after President Jair Bolsonaro accused his counterpart
Gabriel Boric of arson during opposition protests three years ago, Chile's
foreign minister said.

A former student leader, Boric took part in anti-government protests in
Santiago in 2019 sparked by student anger over metro pass price hikes.

During the early days of protests, several metro stations were set on fire.

During a presidential debate with rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Sunday
night, the outspoken Brazilian leader Bolsonaro claimed Boric "burnt the
metro" and was behind the torching of several stations.

Bolsonaro tried to tie Lula to that incident by pointing to his support for
fellow leftist Boric.

"We consider those statements very serious," Chile's Foreign Minister Antonio
Urrejola said Monday. "Obviously it's totally false and we regret that
bilateral relations are exploited and polarized in an electoral context
through disinformation and fake news."

The minister said the ambassador had been summoned and will be presented with
a letter of protest.