Protest against Chile's President in Berkeley

“The Transformation of Chile”

Michelle Bachelet, President of Chile to visit UC Berkeley
Protest!!
Thursday June 12, 2008 at 4pm
International House- 2299 Piedmont Ave. Berkeley (nr.Bancroft Way)

Michelle Bachelet, the President of Chile, has been officially invited to speak about the economic “cooperation” agreements reached between her government and the State of California, including the University of California. These agreements were reached by the political and economic elites of both countries behind closed doors. Her topic, ironically is called “The Transformation of Chile”.

President Bachelet falsely campaigned as the President of “all Chileans” and is attempting to portray a false image of Chile. The Concertacion government over which she presides is attempting to show the international community a Chile that is developing towards the future with dignity and justice. This is far from the truth and as Chileans and other concerned citizens of the world, we repudiate and reject this “Transformation of Chile” that her government proposes.

Why Protest? These are the main reasons:

• We want to denounce the repression and systematic imprisonment of the Mapuche people. We demand the unconditional and immediate release of the Mapuche political prisoners. (Info sobre Mapuche) http://www.mapuche.info/index.html

• We demand the immediate release of the documentary filmmaker, Elena Varela, arrested for documenting the reality of the Mapuche communities and the battle being waged against them by the forestry companies (see link CLICK AQUI of trailer of the documentary that has been confiscated by the intelligence services in Chile) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3Y4MZWapuM

• We demand the abolition of the Anti Terrorist Law, which was imposed by the Pinochet dictatorship and continues to be utilized by the government of the Concertacion to imprison Mapuche leaders and activists in general.(link click aquí to learn more about the Antiterrorism Law).http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2004/10/26/chile9566.htm

• We demand the immediate abolition of the General Education Law which will completely privatize public education in Chile. We also demand an end to the repression being waged against the student movement. (Info about the student movement in Chile) http://www.fsrn.org/content/students-protest-education-reform-chile/2227

• We demand a stop to the construction of hydroelectric dams in the Patagonia that are stealing the natural resources in the south of Chile that belong first and foremost to the original peoples of Chile. (Info) http://www.patagoniasinrepresas.cl/final/

• We ask for an end to the destruction of the glaciers in the Andes mountains due to exploitation of gold and other minerals by the mining company Barrick Gold in the Pascua Lama project. (Info) http://www.miningwatch.ca/index.php?/Chile_en/Pascua_Lama_Background

We invite you to participate peacefully at this protest to be held on Thursday June 12, 2008 at 4pm outside the International House at the Chevron Auditorium at 2299 Piedmont Avenue, Berkeley (corner of Bancroft Way).