Targeted In Protests, Chile Removes General's Statue 03/12/21 AT 2:36 PM The statue of a 19th-century Chilean general was temporarily removed from a Santiago square Friday after being repeatedly vandalized during protests. The likeness of General Manuel Baquedano on horseback -- burnt, painted and dented in months of demonstrations -- was lifted from its pedestal in the early morning hours as military veterans paid their respects. Nearby, a dozen protesters were detained. Baquedano and his statue was not a specific target of protests that started in Chile in October 2019 against social inequality, corruption, and the rising cost of living. But it got drawn into a symbolic tussle between protesters and authorities for control of the central square named after him.