ARGENTINA/COLOMBIA: Students across Latin America conduct simultaneous protests to demand education reform

Record ID: 446723

  • Title: ARGENTINA/COLOMBIA: Students across Latin America conduct simultaneous protests to demand education reform
  • Date: 26th November 2011
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF STUDENTS MARCHING AND CHANTING CHILEAN STUDENT, PATRICIO, HOLDING UP SIGN (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CHILEAN STUDENT, PATRICIO, WHO IS STUDYING IN ARGENTINE CITY OF LA PLATA BECAUSE HE CANNOT AFFORD TO STUDY IN CHILE, SAYING "What we propose is the construction of organization. And to try to lift off a Latin American movement, where we once again put education at the service of the public and workers in countries across Latin America." STUDENTS RUNNING DOWN THE STREET TOWARDS THE CHILEAN CONSULATE STUDENTS CHANTING OUTSIDE OF THE CHILEAN CONSULATE VARIOUS OF STUDENTS RUNNING OUTSIDE THE CONSULATE POLICE STANDING CALMLY BY AND WATCHING
  • Embargoed: 11th December 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Colombia, Argentina
  • City:
  • Country: Colombia Argentina
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAEZVETOUIWLRRSJK7Z1J043T3S
  • Story Text: Protesters across South America came together to demand education reforms on Thursday (November 24), in solidarity with student protests that have turned violent in Santiago, Chile.
    University students in Colombia, Peru, and Argentina took part, while in Chile, predominantly high-school aged students clashed with police ahead of the planned cross-continental protests.
    "We have come together for the same cause, which is free education, so that you can study without having to work while you are studying, so that you can study the career you want, so that you don't have to be in debt to finish your degree," Colombian student Karen Casallas said.
    Aside from Chile, the protests were largely peaceful, and sometimes festive in nature, with protesters occasionally dressing in colorful costumes and marching to the sound of drums and other musical instruments.
    Oscar Aponte, a spokesman for the Colombian protesters, said that the marches show the similarities between educational issues faced by students across Latin America.
    "This day is a Latin-American day for defending educational rights. These protests are being carried out in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, precisely because we understand we have the same issues and this fight - the popular fight together with Latin American people - will be won," he said.
    "All of Latin America is uniting for one sole cause, in solidarity with the students in Chile, for free and quality teaching in our towns," an unidentified student in Lima, Peru said.
    "We are making a front for the struggle for public education across all countries and we mainly support the struggle of Chile and Colombia, which are right now in specific conflicts," said another unidentified student.
    In Argentina, a Chilean student, who was identified only as Patricio, said that he was forced to leave his home country to study in Argentina because he was unable to afford an education there.
    "What we propose is the construction of organization. And to try to lift off a Latin American movement, where we once again put education at the service of the public and workers in countries across Latin America," he said.
    In Chile, at least 26 students were arrested during an impromptu education protest that escalated in Santiago, ahead of the official planned march later in the day.
    Water cannons and tear gas were employed by police to try to disperse them.
    Protesters reacted by attacking deployed trucks.
    Such clashes have become commonplace in Santiago, where students have been protesting to demand a major overhaul of the education system.
    They say the system is profit-motivated and provides poor education, accusing unpopular President Sebastian Pinera of misspending the fortune of a copper price boom.
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