Meet the Communist who has Pinera in a serious political predicament

[rabs]

Camila Vallejo, 23 years old. Militant in the Chilean Communist Party Youth the past five years. Working on her Masters in geography at the University of Chile.

She is the president of the University of Chile Student Federation, only the second female in 105 years to hold the post.

She is also the most visible figure in the three-month student uprising against the Pinera government. She speaks and hundreds of thousands of high school and university students take to the streets, along with teachers, professors and union workers. Last week she called for a "cacerolazo" and the din over Santiago and other cities was spectacular.

Camila has been receiving death threats and last Thursday an idiot posted her home address and telephone number on Twitter. Her family has asked the Pineral government for her protection but yesterday (Monday) Rodrigo Ubilla, a top Interior Minister official, said the government could not guarantee her safety. She has been lodging away from her home the past several days.

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There was another massive student march today. Carabineros estimated the crowd at 70,000 to 80,000, which means the crowd was well over 100,000. (Carabineros generals always under-estimate.)

Carabineros said 273 people had been detained, 16 civilians and 23 Carabineros injured. The student march began peacefully, but hooded thugs caused disturbances and looting at the end.

The student leaders have denounced that the thugs are infiltrators seeking to lay the blame on the students. In Valparaiso (second largest city) students recognized a Carabinero posing as a student. Police rescued and hustled him into the National Congress building. Carabineros in Santiago tonight said he was an intelligence sargeant. It was the first solid proof that the student movement has been infiltrated by police and likely by pinochetistas who support the Pinera government.

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At 9 p.m. Chile time, the cacerolas were out in force tonight all over Santiago and other cities. (Pinera's ears must be starting to ring.)

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In New York, a small group of Chileans support the students. There were similar groups in Buenos Aires, Lima, Barcelona and Paris.

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Stay tuned, this is not over by a long shot and something has to give.