El Negro Matapacos: Black Chilean dog who became symbol of resistance during 2011 protests

A black Chilean stray dog has again become a talking point as protests across the United States continue over the death of a black man in police custody. El Negro Matapacos, the black Chilean dog, has lately become a symbol of protests who, in 2011, started showing up at demonstrations in Chile and turned aggressive against police.

The heroic Chilean dog fiercely protected protesters and attacked security personnel if they tried to disperse the crowd by force. For his hostile and aggressive stance against police officials during protests, the dog was named El Negro Matapacos or The Black Cop Killer. El Negro Matapacos died in 2019 but not before becoming the symbol of resistance.

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Protests in Chile

In 2019, Chilean citizens took to streets demanding improved services with social and economic equality. The weeks-long demonstrations turned violent over a period of time and claimed several lives. The protests started against a hike in subway fares which soon took a massive form demanding a broad range of changes. 

On November 26, Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused Chile’s national police of committing serious human rights violations including the use of excessive force on the people in the streets and abuses in detention. The face of the Chilean dog which had fought valiantly against the police in the past was spray-painted onto the side of buildings and printed on t-shirts during the protests. The heroic protest has again become relevant as Black Lives Matter matter got rejuvenated after the custodial death of George Floyd and protests flared across the United States.

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