{"id":4206,"date":"2026-08-17T23:44:56","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T04:44:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flacso.edu.ec\/accionnoviolenta\/?p=4206"},"modified":"2026-08-17T23:45:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T04:45:49","slug":"nonviolent-actions-in-the-student-struggle-in-chile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flacso.edu.ec\/accionnoviolenta\/en\/nonviolent-actions-in-the-student-struggle-in-chile\/","title":{"rendered":"Nonviolent actions in the student struggle in Chile"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Nonviolent actions in the student struggle in Chile<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Jean-Sonel Basquin<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1980, the university reform in Chile allowed the system to be liberalized. From then on, each degree program has a price for the respective degrees, depending on the institution. The existing economic inequalities have been maintained and deepened in the Chilean educational system at all levels\u2014primary, secondary and university. In 2011, a historic moment was experienced in Chile with the emergence of the student movement, a massive mobilization that managed to put the problem of education in the country at the center of public debate. Thousands of students took to the streets demanding free, quality public education. This article seeks to analyze the impact and demands of the student movement in Chile during that year, highlighting its objective, the development of its actions, the evidence and examples of its demands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main objective of the Chilean student movement was to fight for a more equitable, accessible and quality education. The students decried an education system that had become deeply unequal, with high tuition costs, massive debt, and underfunded public education. They sought structural changes in the educational system and greater investments in public education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This movement was characterized by a series of massive and peaceful demonstrations throughout the country. High school and university students took to the streets to make their demands heard. The movement used various protest strategies such as marches, occupations of schools and universities, and the creation of student assemblies to organize the mobilization. These included nonviolent strategies:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.  Peaceful marches and demonstrations:<\/strong> students organized numerous peaceful mobilizations to express their demands and draw attention to the problems of the Chilean educational system. These took place in the streets, public squares and university campuses, bringing together thousands of people. They had banners, posters and slogans that reflected the demands of the movement. Currently, although most student marches and demonstrations are peaceful, there have also been isolated incidents of violence. However, these episodes do not represent the general approach of the student movement that seeks change through dialogue and peaceful mobilization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2.  Sit-ins and sit-ins:<\/strong> Students carried out peaceful occupations of campus and university buildings to highlight inequalities in the education system and demand reforms. These occupations were mostly carried out nonviolently, with discussions, debates and educational activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3.  Student strikes: <\/strong>academic activities were suspended and students mobilized collectively to demand changes in the educational system. These strikes were carried out peacefully, with general assemblies and symbolic actions in order to generate impact, strengthen the unity of the student movement and draw the attention of society and the authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4.  Alliances with other social actors:<\/strong> there were joint demonstrations with teachers, unions, human rights organizations and other social actors who shared the same concerns. These alliances sought to strengthen the student movement, expand support for demands and generate greater visibility. Through joint collaboration, mobilizations, events and shared strategies have been carried out, contributing to a diverse and strong student movement that seeks changes in the educational system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5.  Use of social media and communication:<\/strong> Online communication was used to spread their demands, mobilize supporters and inform the public. They used platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to share videos, testimonies and information about their actions. Students have taken advantage of platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to spread their demands, organize mobilizations and coordinate actions. They have also used blogs and instant messaging for effective internal communication. These tools have allowed us to reach a broader audience, raise awareness and obtain greater visibility for the student movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6.  Creativity and symbolism:<\/strong> This included artistic performances, graffiti, songs, dances and cultural demonstrations to express their demands visually and emotionally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response to student demands, various policies and reforms were implemented. One of the most notable measures was the promulgation of the School Inclusion Law, which prohibited profit in subsidized educational establishments and established higher quality standards. In addition, a financing system was established that allowed the gradual implementation of free higher education for the most vulnerable students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These advances show the impact of the student movement on the political agenda and the collective consciousness of Chilean society. The student revolution generated a broad and deep debate about the need for quality education for all, regardless of their socioeconomic background. However, despite the progress achieved, there are still pending challenges. Free higher education has not been universally implemented and gaps in educational quality persist between public and private institutions. Furthermore, investment in public education requires a sustained commitment to ensure adequate infrastructure, quality teacher training, and access to up-to-date educational resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The student movement in Chile in 2011 was a milestone in the country’s history since it managed to put the need to transform the educational system at the center of public debate. The students fought for free, quality public education, highlighting existing inequalities and demanding profound changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite contrary arguments, the student movement presented solid evidence and examples that supported their demands, highlighting the inequities of the Chilean educational system. His rebuttal focused on the premise that education is a right and that the State has the responsibility to ensure equitable access. Although some of the demands are still in the process of being implemented, the impact of the student movement has been significant. The 2011 mobilization raised awareness about the importance of inclusive, quality education and laid the foundation for future reforms in Chile’s education system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short, the student movement in Chile in 2011 demonstrated the strength and determination of students in the fight for a more just education. His legacy endures in current discussions about educational policies and continues to inspire new generations to seek an educational system that guarantees equal opportunities for all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jean-Sonel Basquin<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He is an activist and educator with a degree in development project management. In 2020 he participated in the Regional Program for the study and practice of nonviolent strategic action in the Americas (Quito, Ecuador). He is creating a center with other young people to respond to some of the problems of Haitian society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Text published on July 5, 2023 with the support of FES.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Translated by Damian Vazquez <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nonviolent actions in the student struggle in Chile Jean-Sonel Basquin In 1980, the university reform in Chile allowed the system to be liberalized. From then on, each degree program has a price for the respective degrees, depending on the institution. The existing economic inequalities have been maintained and deepened in the Chilean educational system at <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4207,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[266],"tags":[230,175,219],"class_list":["post-4206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-youth-campaigns","tag-english","tag-ingles","tag-nonviolence"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flacso.edu.ec\/accionnoviolenta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flacso.edu.ec\/accionnoviolenta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flacso.edu.ec\/accionnoviolenta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flacso.edu.ec\/accionnoviolenta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flacso.edu.ec\/accionnoviolenta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4206"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/flacso.edu.ec\/accionnoviolenta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4206\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4211,"href":"https:\/\/flacso.edu.ec\/accionnoviolenta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4206\/revisions\/4211"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flacso.edu.ec\/accionnoviolenta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flacso.edu.ec\/accionnoviolenta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flacso.edu.ec\/accionnoviolenta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flacso.edu.ec\/accionnoviolenta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}