Matt Bostock Photography » Protests

Instituto Nacional Sit-In

Matt — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:47:31 +0000

Pupils hold a sit-in at the prestigious Instituto Nacional secondary school in Santiago, demanding the centralization of public schools in Chile – which are currently administrated by the municipalities. The sit-in is the latest in a series of recent protests against the education system in Chile.

Chilean Teachers Rally for PAE Pay Bonus

Matt — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 03:17:38 +0000

(June 2, 2009) Thirteen thousand teachers from all over Chile gathered in downtown Santiago on Tuesday to protest against an overdue pay bonus that dates from 2007. Teachers nationwide have been on strike for 16 days as of Tuesday. Nationwide, over a million schoolchildren in the public education system have been left without classes.

The marchers demanded payment of the Additional Special Subsidy (SAE) pay bonus which is overdue since 2007. The government owes an average of US$2,000 to every public school teacher in the country.

Teachers arrived in over a hundred buses from every region of Chile. The protesters marched from Plaza Italia, Esatción Central and Ahumada St. to culminate in a mass rally in Forestal Park at midday.

National Teachers’ Union President Jaime Gajardo addressed the crowd outside the Fine Arts Museum in the park, demanding that the government intervenes to resolve the problem. The Central Workers Union (CUT) President was also there to give his support, asking for the resignation of Education Minister Mónica Jiménez.

“We are demanding that they pay us what we’re due,” said Julia Cancino, 53, a teacher with 31 years’ experience. “It affects our profession; it’s not just.”

The Education Ministry (MINEDUC) has met with the Teachers’ Assocation three times in a bid to end the strike, offering payment of the bonus in installments – the last of which would be in January 2010. The Association has repeatedly refused the government’s offers, demanding for 500,000 Chilean pesos (US$890) immediately, followed by another 500,000 pesos in October.

Jiménez announced the transfer of 13 billion Chilean pesos on Monday to the 219 municipalities for the payment of the bonus, which would leave the negotiation of the bonus to each municipality.

Leaders from the Teachers’ Association are expected to deliver a letter to presidential palace La Moneda on Wednesday listing their demands.

The strike only affects teachers in public schools, although some private school teachers joined the strike on Tuesday in solidarity with their colleagues.

Abortion Hotline Setup in Chile

Matt — Thu, 28 May 2009 14:57:45 +0000

Santiago, Chile: Women from Red Salud Mujeres gather outside Presidential palace La Moneda on May 28, 2009, on May 28, 2009, to announce a new hotline providing abortion advice. Abortion is currently illegal in Chile.

Chilean Students March for Education Reforms

Matt — Fri, 15 May 2009 04:28:01 +0000

“Don’t be a fool, reform the schools,” chanted over 1,000 students marching along Santiago’s main downtown street, Alameda, demanding public education reforms on Wednesday.University and high school students marched along Av. Paraguay and Curico St., culminating at Paseo Bulnes, near presidential palace La Moneda. Five representatives met with government Secretary General Carolina Tohá to deliver a letter explaining their demands. The letter, addressed to Chilean President Michele Bachelet, requests better finance for educational establishments and subsidies for indebted students.

Protestors gathered for the march at Plaza Italia at 10am, organized by the Universidad de Chile Students’ Federation (FECH) and other private education institutions. Presidents of FECH, the Universidad Alberto Hurtado Students’ Federation (FEUAH) and the Universidad de Valparaíso’s Santiago Campus Students’ Federation (FEUV Santiago) called for the Chilean government to make education more affordable and accessible.

“We want the country to know that the education crisis continues,” said Federico Huneeus, President of FECH. “We want a high quality, public, education.”

“We are calling for changes to the current institution, which is exclusive, leaves the majority of students in debt and discriminates against establishments not accredited by the Council of Rectors (CRUCH). We want the government … to shut down the CRUCH, to end the current university entry system and to provide a new way to finance universities,” said Jonathan Serracino, President of FEUAH.

“In Chile, the state does not finance higher education … we have to pay more and more fees,” said 20-year-old Klaus Lehmaun Melendez, a sociology student at the Universidad de Chile. “[We hope that] that government will increase direct financial support.”

High school students attended to give their support, although their reason for participating in the march was unclear to some. “I have no idea what you are talking about,” said 17-year-old Olof Palme Juan Flores when asked about the proposed reforms to higher education.

Presidential hopeful Pamela Jiles was at Plaza Italia to show her support, although she admitted that she has “no proposals” to improve education in Chile, preferring to listen to “the orders of my [Jiles’s] people.”

The march took place relatively peacefully, with little interaction between police and protesters. A small minority of students began throwing rocks at armored police vehicles in Almagro Park after the march, to which the police responded with tear gas. Mounted police attempted to move the crowd on, crushing the foot of Felipe Gamboa, a photographer working for the iStock agency. Police made 36 arrests for public disorder and two for damage to public property.

CUT National Strike, Chile

Matt — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:53:22 +0000

Santiago, Chile: The Chilean Central Workers’ Union (CUT) called for a national strike on April 16, 2009, in response to the impact of the global economic crisis on the Chilean employment sector. Thousands of protesters took part in four marches in the Chilean capital, culminating in Paseo Bulnes.