“Everything has become so expensive!” Laments this 42-year-old woman, who refused to give her last name for fear of being persecuted and is currently considering going abroad.
Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds injured, causing the deployment of Russian peacekeeping troops (within the framework of a regional alliance), while almost 8,000 were arrested.
What is happening in Kazakhstan? President calls for shoot to kill amid protests
Although the Kazakh authorities have denounced a “terrorist operation”, orchestrated from abroad, taking advantage of the great social movement, in reality the discontent of the Kazakhs has been latent for years in this authoritarian state, undermined by poverty, corruption of the ruling elites and the repression of all opposition.
The sharp increase, on January 1, 2022, in the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), a fuel in very common use, was the last straw. The demonstrations broke out in the west, where the oil basin is located, later spreading to the rest of Kazakhstan, to become armed clashes with the police.
The violence of these clashes, especially in Almaty, has shaken this nation that boasted of being the most stable in the entire region.
“The problem is that salaries are stagnant. (The purchasing power) is a trigger, and death and horror were the consequence,” says Natalia, a 34-year-old psychologist interviewed by AFP in Almaty.
“I think that, from now on, the government will take the people more into account,” says Esperanza.