Political Implications of Chile's Protest Movement

Chilean secondary school and university students will join the College of Teachers of Chile in a nationwide strike Aug. 28. Protests over a variety of issues have been ongoing in Chile for the past six years, but education consistently has been the primary focus.

The protests have eroded the approval ratings of the conservative government of Chilean President Sebastian Pinera, who came to power in 2009 when, for the first time since the end of the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet in 1990, the Chilean majority voted against the center-left Concertacion coalition. While Pinera's pro-business, fiscally conservative economic strategy has been well received by many, his policies have not addressed Chile's socio-economic issues, particularly those related to inequality and education. His inability to negotiate a settlement with the protesters will create an opportunity for a resurgence of the left in Chile's 2013-2014 elections.