An escalating conflict. This is how the situation that has been experienced inside the University of Chile for almost a month could be classified, when in parallel to mobilizations due to problems specific to the institution, in mid-May a group of students began a series of pro-Palestine demonstrations, in those that were demanded from the directors of the Casa de Bello break relations with Israeli institutions due to the armed confrontation between that country and Hamas.
And although, for example, the Faculty of Philosophy chose to cut a collaboration commitment with the Hebrew University, the truth is that every day new edges and knots are added to the problem between a small group of students and the authorities of the house of studies. The latest events? A canvas against the rector Rosa Devés, criticism of her for traveling to Europe with President Gabriel Boric and accusations of eviction attempts.
The last 96 hours have been particularly frenetic for the inmates of the Casa de Bello: over the weekend, a large canvas against Israel appeared hanging on the front of the institution’s headquarters, accompanied by a drawing where it was possible to recognize the university rector, Rosa Devésreceiving a kiss from the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu. The highest authority of the Chilean university addressed the issue in Berlin, Germany, where he is part of the President’s entourage Gabriel Boric on his tour of Europe, a trip that, precisely, earned him strong internal criticism.
For example, on behalf of the interim board of the Student Federation (Fech), who through a statement wanted to “express our discontent regarding the trip to Europe of the rector Rosa Devés in the midst of the critical situation that we face as the University of Chile”, adding that they consider “a lack of respect to manage a tour to Europe and not be willing to manage solutions for the student body.”
It was precisely from Germany that the highest authority of the House of Bello had come forward to the canvas. “We hope that those who placed that canvas learn from this, that It is not the way to express ideas, less in a public university like ours, in a house that is heritage, that represents not only the university, but the history of Chile and that we all have to respect very much,” he said.
But the issue did not stop there and different personalities and groups came out to defend it or criticize the canvas, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alberto van Klaverengross and intolerable”); the Minister of Women, Antonia Orellana (“resorting to sexist caricatures is exhausting the possibility of debate”); lto ComunidadMujer (”repudiation at the placement of a shameful and sexist canvas”); and a letter signed by formerstudents.
And it was precisely the events of this Tuesday that during today’s Wednesday added a new chapter to the conflict, after the representatives of the “Acampe” – a demonstration through the installation of tents that has been taking place since May – published a writing in which they say denounce the intention of their eviction and “slander due to gender violence by the university authorities and the media.”
“Like Acampe and the Gender Commission We emphatically condemn and reject the accusations received, given that the arguments used are not part of the causes of gender violence., but rather they are a misrepresentation of concepts instrumentalized to use the gender of the rector instead of appealing to the position she represents and to whom we demand answers,” they say, before adding that “not because the rector is a woman is exempt from responsibility and respond to our demands. The criticisms would be exactly the same if the rector’s gender were different.”
They also add that “the display of the canvas on the front of the Central House of our university sought to illustrate, through political satire, the non-response and intransigence of the rector and her team.”
Likewise, they say that this Monday they received “the first email” from the authorities, where “they informed us that the authorities ‘have decided to no longer allow the permanent use of the Eloísa Díaz Room’ and asked us for ‘the immediate removal’ of our personal belongings from the place where we set up our Camp more than three weeks ago in solidarity with the Palestinian people.”. Close to the administration of the Casa de Bello, in any case, they assure that, beyond the request, there will not be an eviction.
In that sense, the positions do not seem to get closer. Even more so if we consider the words that the rector Devés had also given from Germany, who referred to the central axis of the conflict and pointed out that there is “with the students there is a difference regarding the agreements, whether or not the agreements should be revoked.” . And that is what we have done with the universities of Israel.”
“The Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Chile effectively suspended a couple of agreements, but as we have expressed in different statements, although we share the vision regarding the non-compliance, the massacre in reality in Palestine, that this must end and that human rights must be respected, We think that breaking with the universities, where dissidents generally exist, (…) is something that should not happen.”
Devés also stated that he hopes “that the university can abandon the taking as a mechanism for conversation and improvement, of insisting on some demands that are sometimes very legitimate, but which They must find other ways to channel themselves.”
And, precisely, the pro-Palestine demonstrations are not the only conflicts that must be resolved at the University of Chile these days: to those disputes that directly involve the rector, we must add the mobilizations – strikes and occupations – that some faculties due to administrative and infrastructure problems and which already has the community at odds, especially after teachers reported that students in occupation on the Juan Gómez Millas campus are forced to sign in to enter. “He who allows himself to be painted passes,” they pointed out.
On the other hand, since the mobilization that originated in the Faculty of Arts after the amputation of a finger of an official, they have pointed out that as has been demonstrated in their own demonstrations, structures are falling, bathrooms are unusable, serious work accidents have occurred. , the roof has asbestos and there is no access to drinking water.
This is also the story of the crisis that represents a new fall of the Fech, which did not reach the minimum quorum required to validate the last board elections.
When consulted about this, the Rectory of the Casa de Bello declined to refer to the growing conflict.
