There's chaos in Kazakhstan. Here's what you need to know
The New Year has gotten off to a very bad start in Kazakhstan. On Jan. 1, the government lifted a price cap on fuel, setting off a sudden and steep increase in the cost of liquefied petroleum gas, which most people in the Central Asian nation use to run their vehicles. That move sparked widespread protests that turned violent as security forces cracked down.
In the days since, a presidential residence and the mayor's office in Almaty have been burned. The country's main airport has been stormed. As angry Kazakhs clash with police, there have also been reports of looting. However, information is sketchy, as authorities have restricted access to the internet and social media in an apparent effort to thwart citizens' power to organize.
The country's Interior Ministry on Friday acknowledged that some 3,800 people have been detained. A police spokesperson that "dozens of attackers were liquidated." Perhaps most ominously, President anyone he described as "bandits" and "terrorists."
