Universidad de Chile students overwhelmingly vote to support Occupation

The Universidad de Chile main campus in the middle of last year’s protests.
 Photo courtesy of Osmar Valdebenito/Flickr.

The Student Federation of the Universidad de Chile (FECH) voted Tuesday night to support the occupation of the university’s main campus in downtown Santiago, which has been occupied by a small group of students since Friday.


“With a quorum of 89 percent of university departments and 74 percent approval, the occupation of the main campus has been ratified,” FECH President Gabriel Boric said via Twitter. Only 2 percent voted against, according to FECH.

The vote comes at a critical time for Chile’s student movement. While high school students have been occupying schools throughout Santiago for the past two weeks, the occupation of the Universidad de Chile, however, holds special significance as the first university to host an officially-sanctioned occupation, or “toma.”

Universidad de Chile was also the symbolic center of last year’s so-called “Chilean Winter,” during which it was occupied for six straight months.  Boric speculated that the FECH vote may kickstart a new wave of protests.

“Today [Universidad de] Chile, tomorrow all the other universities,” Boric said.

Noam Tittleman, president of the student federation at Chile's Universidad Católica (FEUC), told La Tercera that "the toma of the main campus of U. de Chile signifies a matter of discussion in other institutions," including his own.

The Confederation of Chilean Students (Confech), an organization that unites student federations from universities across the country, plans to meet on Saturday in Iquique, over 1,000 miles north of Santiago, to determine a direction for the broader student movement. Boric added that Confech would also be participating in future protests organized by high school student organizations, who have scheduled a march for Thursday morning.

Confech will also sponsor a "Cycle-a-thon for Education" at 8 p.m. Wednesday night, starting in Santiago's Parque Bustamente.

By David Pedigo - The Santiago Times