Current Events > Chilean police using lye in water cannons used on protestors

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https://www.cnnchile.com/pais/analisis-quimico-soda-caustica-gas-pimienta-carro-lanzaguas_20191216/

Is this considered chemical warfare?

I couldn't find a translation for that particular article, so I assembled my brain cells to translate a few paragraphs:

En la maana de este lunes, integrantes del Movimiento Salud en Resistencia (MSR) informaron que se detect la presencia de soda custica y gas pimienta en el agua que utiliza Carabineros en el carro lanzaguas.

Members of the NGO Movimiento Salud en Resistencia (MSR) announced Monday morning the detection of lye and CS gas in water samples taken from water cannons used by Carabineros.

El documento destaca que la muestra del 22 de noviembre presenta una mayor concentracin de componentes de soda custica y niveles traza de capsaicina, por lo que se concluye que no se us para disolver el vaniloide (como se identific en otras muestras), sino que se utiliz como componente principal del carro lanzaguas.

The document shows that the November 22 sample had a larger concentration of sodium hydroxide but only trace amounts of capsaicin, which leads them to believe that the former wasn't used as a solvent (like in the other samples), but as the main component.

El pasado lunes 9, el Colegio Mdico inform ante la comisin de Derechos Humanos del Senado que se detectaron muchos casos de personas que han sufrido quemaduras al estar en contacto con el lquido de los carros lanzaguas.

On December 9th, the Medical Guild of Chile informed the Senate's Human Rights Commission of the detection of many cases of people suffering chemical burns as a result of being sprayed by water cannons.

Ante esto, el general Jorge vila, jefe de zona Control Orden Pblico, indic que la sustancia que utilizan es conocida con las iniciales CS, la que se diluye en agua, asegurando que no provoca daos importantes a las personas.

Riot Control Chief Jorge vila responded by saying the substance found in water cannons' water is diluted CS gas, which doesn't cause serious harm.



Nooooow, from what I gather, while lye is used to dilute CS gas, there has been at least one confirmed instance of a water cannon shooting just lye and water. If widespread use is confirmed, then the heads of the Carabineros (Chilean national police) could be tried for crimes against humanity, as per Chile's own law.

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is that the stuff that melts people?

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Chicken posted...

is that the stuff that melts people?

When lye is mixed with water, heat is released, so the container used to mix lye in has to be able to take that heat. Lye can burn the skin and damage the eyes in the dry or wet form. It also releases fumes, when mixed with water, that can harm the lungs. If swallowed, lye will burn the esophagus and can cause death.

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^

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Chicken posted...

is that the stuff that melts people?

Lye is used to decompose bodies.

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divot1338 posted...

Lye is used to decompose bodies.

My coworker got some in his eye (our employer had cheaped out on the safe stuff for the bar that they could have gotten instead) and had to spend like a whole day at the hospital and almost lost his eye.

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Chicken posted...

is that the stuff that melts people?

Lye is the basic equivalent of HCL essentially.

So this is functionally equivalent to an acid attack with a giant hose, just from the other end of the litmus spectrum.

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That should be considered chemical warfare, yes.

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Umbreon posted...

That should be considered chemical warfare, yes.

Agreed

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gotta keep the peace

crimes against humanity

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one step closer to a zero time dilemma