Empresa Nacional del Petróleo's decision, supported by the President Sebastián Piñera, the Energy Minister Ricardo Raineri, and the Mining Minister Laurence Golborne,[3] prompted a series of protests in that region during the following weeks, including mass mobilisations,[4] and a stoppage in the region's most important cities, such as Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales.

[6] Two women, Claudia Castillo Campos, 19, and Melisa Silva Ruiz, 23,[7] were killed by a truck during the protests in Punta Arenas that night.

Another 1,500 tourists were left without movement in Torres del Paine National Park after routes to Puerto Natales and El Calafate were cut.

[10] Actions by the protesters halted buses of people attempting to flee from Chile, leaving them at barricaded locations outside the cities, unable to move except by walking.

This "forced march" situation adversely affected many elderly tourists, including those with disabilities, resulting in human rights complaints and well as violations of Chilean national law providing for free passage within the country.

Squadron Commander Vegas was credited with a successful airlift of several thousand visitors, with most being delivered to the Punta Arenas airport for onward transportation so that those people could flee from southern Chile.

[10][11] Prior to the conclusion of the protests, the Interior Ministry invoked the Law of Internal Security of the State, with the intent to begin judicial determination of those responsible for the damages inflicted during the disturbances.