Santiago Warning or Danger Tips by Glospi

This is not a warning, nor about a danger, but it could be useful anyways:

The uniformed (militarized) Chilean police are the Carabineros (also informally called pacos), who are virtually anywhere in the country, from remote border posts to the big cities' centres.
They wear a green uniform and, whether on duty or not, they are always keen to help if needed, and are very professional and courteous.
Not many of them speak English, but ALL of them have a radio and a directions book and map to help you find a place or whatever you need.
Air rescue and MEDEVAC in the mountains and mainland is performed by them, as is search of lost or stranded people in remote wilderness areas as well.
If traffic-fined, NEVER try to bribe them (although in other South American countries this is a normal custom), as this is a very serious offence which takes the felon directly to jail.

The emergency phone number for Carabineros is 133, which can be dialed for free from any phone, either private, mobile or payphone in Chile.

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Phone: 133
Website: www.carabineros.cl

Its long-time reputation of being a hangout for hurried lovers, hookers and gays is almost disappeared after the deployment of private guards who keep an eye on any conflictive situation (they will ask for your name, passport number and nationality when you enter the gardens, but no actual documents).
Anyway, exercise caution if crossing the gardens on its southern slope – the Alameda side- late at night on weekdays, as sometimes petty surprise theft happens there.

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Phone: 133 (Police)

The "business" of illegal international phone calls had flourished on the N side of Santiago's Cathedral (on the street of the same name, in front of Correo Central).
Overseas calls can be as cheap as US$ 1,5 for a 10-minute call to, say, Russia or Japan, which is a lure for travellers.

But the danger lies in the fact that the "operators" (mainly illegal Peruvian immigrants who mix with other, innocent, Peruvians who sit there waiting to be hired for a job-> the area is nicknamed Pequeña Lima, or Little Lima) use stolen cell phones illegally linked to third-party home phones which are charged with the actual cost of the calls.

Lately, the Government, the phone companies and the Municipality of Santiago have started to fight this criminal activity by using covert police agents to detain and prosecute both operators AND occasional users.
When detainees are Chilean nationals, they are sent to jail for 3 days, and then legally prosecuted and tried (5-year prison terms had been given to several individuals) while foreign people catched on this, receives the same treatment, under charges of illegal association for criminal acts, forgery and thievery (in Chile, those who buy stolen merchandise or -in this case- communications, are considered as actively involved in the crime)
As a courtesy, arrested tourists are usually left free after a week of detention and a US$ 1000 fine, and then deported (as happened last August to 4 travellers).

You better resort to cheap Internet...

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