Were these reforms introduced during the Pinochet era by U.S. advisers?
In Chile, Camila Vallejo Dowling was unknown until a few months ago. But recently she became the second female leader in the 105-year history of the University of Chile's student union. When student protests gradually started last May, she quickly became their face and voice, and has led popular protests andcacerolazos — a kind of protest during which participants bang pots and pans. The student leader said the government strategy of violent repression of students only aggravated the situation, prevented dialogue and worsened the political climate. Student demonstrations provoked a drastic fall in popularity of the government of Pinera, a Chilean billionaire whose positive image slipped to 26 percent in a survey and obliged him to take emergency measures to confront the crisis. Although Vallejo preaches nonviolence, she has received several death threats and has been given police protection. Vallejo is demanding better salaries and work stability for teachers and that the government assume responsibility for education at the universities which, she says, are no longer accessible to the general population. She acknowledged, however, that it is very difficult to obtain structural reforms with a rightist government, saying that what they want is long-term political and educational reform in the country. Students are demanding a new framework for education in Chile, an end to the Chilean school voucher system and its replacement by a public education system managed by the state. Currently, in Chile, only 45 percent of high school students are in traditional public schools. Most universities are in private hands. The majority of Chileans (estimated 72 to 80 percent) support the student movement, which has been energized by a 48-hour nationwide strike by the Workers United Center of Chile (CUT). Although Deputy Interior Minister Rodrigo Ubilla said the strike was a "great failure," CUT's press statement said 82 social and labor union organizations had joined the strike. As a response to student demands, President Pinera said the government would improve education financing — cutting interests rates on student loans from 6.4 percent to 2 percent — would help indebted students and would provide fellowships. But the government's promises did little to control the uprising. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, education costs in Chile make it the country with the most expensive higher education. According to Chilean economist Marcel Claude, student debt is close to 174 percent of their annual salary and 50 percent among them are heavily indebted. President Pinera's response to new demonstrations was to announce $4 billion in education funds through a new proposal called GANE (Great National Accord for Education), which was also rejected
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