Protest Chile's Neoliberal "socialist" President

The following email was sent out by a Chilean activist in response to Bachelet's scheduled appearance at U.C. Davis earlier the same day.
------------------------------------------------------------
From: Miguel Angel Astudillo
Date: Fri, Jun 6, 2008 at 5:30 PM
Subject: Chilean president will visit UC DAVIS on June 12th

Hola a todos!

This is regarding Bachelet's visit to California.

My name is Miguel Astudillo, and I'm a former student at UC Davis. As some of you probably know, Michelle Bachelet, president of Chile, will be visiting Berkeley and Davis on June 12th. She will come to promote an agreement to be signed that same day by Gov Schwarzenegger and herself. The agreement to be signed by California and Chile has been discussed behind close doors, but there has been positive propaganda by Chilean communities in the UC universities so there will be a lot of supporters. Most likely this agreement between California and Chile will be similar to a free trade agreement and we all know what that means.

There will be a luncheon in the Chancellors's house on June 12th at 12:00pm and something can be done there to let her and others know that we are aware of her neoliberal agenda and that we are aware of her government's human rights violation against students, the Mapuche (indigenous from southern Chile), the contracted-out workers from the state-owned copper company, Codelco, and many other workers and social movements tired of Chile's economic disparities.

It is important that our University community and the community in general know and understand what's happening in Chile right know. There is a severe social crisis going on right know, virtually all public universities are either on strike or students have occupied them in signal of protest. However, police repression has been brutal against students' activists who now face random or selective arrests by military police, torture by police special forces, and a continuous intimidation by the federal police. In early April, Amnesty International's chapter in Chile wrote the Interior Minister demanding an end to what the human rights organization calls violent repression of peaceful demonstrations at the hands of police. As FSRN's Jorge Garretón explains from Santiago, heavy handed tactics by police began to re-emerge in 2006 when students seized schools and marched on the streets for more than a month. However, repression has become even harsher these past weeks. The issue been protested is the derogation of the general education law that will perpetuate the unjust public education system created by Pinochet.

I, as a member of the university, student, and CHILENO; oppose Bachelet's visit and repudiate the actions taken by the Bachelet's government against every social movement willing to change the structural legacy of the Pinochet dictatorship. I am asking for anyone who is aware of what's going on right now in Chile or who can share some solidarity with the students movement in Chile to protest against Bachelet's visit to Davis outside the Chancellor's house on June 12th at 12 pm.  Someone who can help write a letter exposing the Chilean government, or just helping out in coming up with ideas to organize a protest or action will be deeply appreciated. Anything can help, todas las luchas estan unidas!!! I have a lot of info, also videos showing repression from the state police against young high schoolers, etc etc.

Thank you for spreading the word!!!!
Espero alguna ayudita!!

PS: Some youtube videos and footage exposing police repression. Thanks!

Bachelet rima con Pinochet
Michelle, Michelle, que tiene Michelle, que mata y tortura igual que Pinochet.

Miguel

Videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoDAiw3gMbU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMpTbJcN4qI
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkP-BjJHgQs
 http://www.latercera.cl/contenido/44_18608_9_0.html

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/06/11/18505870.php