Parque Almagro this past Tuesday, 9 August. Photo by solounatoma (flickr).
At Ciu Santiago, we are here to inform you of places in the capital, where to eat, dance, have a good time. However, as Chileans or foreigners living in Chile, we can’t ignore what’s happening today in this country’s streets.
As some may know, the student demonstrations that have been taking place for about three months now in Santiago and other regions, have transformed into one of the most massive events since the end of the Pinochet dictatorship, something that’s really shaking us up.
Yesterday, Tuesday, 9 August, 2011, a peaceful demonstration culminated during the day with more than 150,000 people, students, professors and social and trade groups, in addition to all Chileans supporting this cause. At night, “cacerolazos,” (demonstrations) throughout different parts of the city and some intermittent blackouts brought a nostalgic air to many of us, the joy and excitement in thinking about how wonderful it is when people can “speak,” demand, show dissatisfaction, that something is happening.
I myself walked a few blocks banging my plastic lunchbox with a pen —I generally don’t bring pots or pans in my backpack when going to work— to the rhythm of those scattered in José Miguel de La Barra Street and also in Santa María Av. with Loreto, making noise to show their discontent with the government’s actions in education.
But, what are the actions? What is the cause?
The basic problem in our country is profit through education. How? With no free state universities, plus in support of the constitution, private universities have proliferated, getting rich from charging fees while providing a mediocre education, without overseers; they’re designed to maintain the social gaps and stagnation, with no interest in creating citizens, rather consumers.
In rough terms, the cause is even simpler still: Students and Chileans are demanding that the state take responsibility for its people’s education by providing a free and quality education.
It doesn’t seem unreasonable, nor out of focus. Mexico has UNAM, Argentina UBA, so how is it possible that Chile, who boasts of all its development, its rapid recovery after the 2010 earthquake, copper export prices soaring, does not have a single free state university?
It’s a question many have asked, especially those who have been out there, acting creatively for months, just to be heard; and although they’ve not yet succeeded in their demands, they’re daily attracting more Chileans to the cause, or simply getting them to ask for the first time, “What is going on right now in our country?”
Emilia Rojas
Ciu Santiago Editor
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