The "cacerolazos" of Aug. 4, 2011 (Chile)

[rabs]

The Chilean people last night said "basta," ("enough") to Pinera.

Thousands upon thousands turned out in metropolitian Santiago to bang pots and pans in support of high school and university students who have been opposing the Pinera government's drive to privatize constitutionally guaranteed public and higher education.

The cacerolazos took place in all sectors of Santiago, from the upper-class sections of Las Condes, Vitacura, Providencia to middle-class Ñuñoa, and to the lower-class neighborhoods in the south and west of the capital.

Pinera and his rightwing cronies must be having nightmares about now, because cacerolazos were instrumental in pushing the military to topple Allende, and years later cacerolazos did the same to the Pinochet dictatorship.

If you have not heard a cacerolazo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvhYIDTAOPQ&NR=1

Ñuñoa, the neighborhood where I used to live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2BjChkhpCY&NR=1

Carbineros fire tear gas in the Plaza Italia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VnMxgDRcb0

There were cacerolazos in other cities as well.

Oh, "cacerola" means a pot or a pan.

[Peace Patriot]

1. Wow! Thanks for the news!

I got hoodwinked by this rightwing billionaire "privatizer" during the miners' rescue and didn't grasp what a social destroyer he actually is.

And I am SO IMPRESSED with the student movement in Chile! I'm waiting for that to happen here. It can and it will, I believe. What U.C. is doing in California, for instance--raising tuition every few months, it seems--is outrageous. But, as always--I remember from the '50s and '60s--and recently, as well, South Americans are the VANGUARD of change. I'm thinking of the brave Venezuelans who peacefully defeated the 2002 coup, the brave Hondurans, still under coup rule but not giving up, the brave Bolivians throwing Bechtel out of their country, and then the U.S. ambassador, Ecuador bravely throwing the U.S. military/Dyncorp out of Ecuador, the brave Argentinians facing and overcoming "neo-liberal" ruination and their president, Nestor Kirchner, one of the first to defy the "Washington consensus," the brave Paraguayans overcoming one of the worst rightwing parties in South America and electing a leftist, and on into Central America and the brave Sandinistas--decimated by Reagan's thugs--coming back and winning the presidency, and on and on. There are SO MANY examples of collective action against oppression coming out of Latin America. One of these days, we, too, are going to have a leftist democracy revolution, and it may start with the students, and it may be Chile's students who inspire it.

I remember IN HIGH SCHOOL hearing of student revolts in South America. It made me realize that this is POSSIBLE, that we don't have to sit back docilely and be drafted into war and turned into "consumers" and cogs in the machinery of war and oppression. It was such a revelation--those South American students.

[rabs]

3. Another demonstration set for tomorrow (Sunday)

Pinera and his pinochetista Cabinet ministers are being backed into a corner with no way out of the crisis.

High school students will be marching again tomorrow, after the municipality of Santiago (run by a pinochetista mayor appointed by Pinera) backed down and issued authorization. The students, parents, teachers have permission to demonstrate and march from noon until 1700 hours.

The violent repression of the students on Thursday made headlines around the world and apparently stung the Pinera government, hence the authorization for tomorrow's demonstration/march.

Keeping the pressure on, the head of the teachers union has called for a nationwide strike on Tuesday to support the students and their demands. We'll see how that goes.

Yesterday (Friday) Pinera was at the San Jose mine to commemorate the anniversary of the mine cave in. He was trying to regain some of the glory he grabbed for himself for the miners' rescue weeks later, but instead he was jeered by some of the people from the remote Atacama who are backing the students.

What has happened is that Pinera has offended the vast majority of Chileans by trying to convert constitutionally guaranteed public and higher education into a consumer good. That by trying to privatize lower-level public education and by raising the costs of most university educations to levels not attainable by students and their parents.

Being a billionaire businessman, he set out to govern Chile as a CEO instead of as a president. It is failing big time because just about every household is affected, especially the poor and the middle class who have students in school.

I don't foresee how this is going to end unless the government gives in completely to the students and passes drastic reforms.

Also there was a big fuss today in Santiago after former President Eduardo Frei said in Buenos Aires that Chile under Pinera was becoming "ungovernable." The pinochetistas in the government went bonkers and are soundly attacking Frei (who was the opponent to Pinera in the presidential election.)

Last night there was Round Two of pots and pans banging. Not as much as the previous night, but still loud.

The Chilean humor is still alive.

Last night we received an email from a daughter in Chile mentioning Pinera's plunging approval rate (26 percent). She said that when Pinera drops to 10 percent, he will be donated to the Catholic Church. As a tithe.

:rofl:

[Judi Lynn]

2. Great links. Colossal demonstration. There are so many. Lots of other links, too.

And in other towns, as well? Wonderful.

Thanks for the links. I had to watch others, too. The cops were sipping all over that city, in droves.
So many protesters, so little time!