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Campaigning Wiki

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Summary

In 2011, Chilean university and high school students, organized under the Confederation of Chilean Students Federations (CONFECH), launched a campaign demanding free, equitable, and non-profit education. Through mass protests, creative nonviolent actions, and strikes, they pressured the government to make significant concessions, including ending state support for for-profit institutions. The campaign achieved five out of six key demands and led to a drop in the president’s approval rating, with subsequent electoral promises for further reform.

Tactics used

Tactics used

Background

Chile’s education system was highly privatized and for-profit, with public universities relying heavily on tuition and a standardized test limiting access for disadvantaged students. Students demanded increased state funding, free public higher education, an end to for-profit education, and greater democratization of universities. The campaign targeted the Chilean government and Ministry of Education under President Sebastián Piñera.

What happened

Student governments formed CONFECH, led by Camila Vallejo and Giorgio Jackson, who drafted the ‘Social Agreement for Chilean Education’ with demands including free public higher education and an end to for-profit education [source: nv-database]. On 26 May, a letter of demands was presented to Education Minister Joaquín Lavin [source: nv-database]. Students used social media to organize creative protests: occupying schools, hunger strikes, flash mobs, a ‘kiss-in’, and marches with slogans like ‘education is not for profit’ [source: nv-database]. By 13 June, an estimated 100 high schools were occupied, and on 30 June, 200,000 demonstrated [source: nv-database]. The government’s July 5th ‘GANE’ proposal increased protests when Vallejo exposed it would legalize for-profit activity [source: nv-database]. On July 14th, a massive demonstration occurred with striking workers; four days later, Lavin was replaced by Felipe Bulnes [source: nv-database]. Student leaders traveled to Paris to gain international support [source: nv-database]. On August 1st, a 21-point plan was offered but rejected for not criminalizing profiteering [source: nv-database]. On August 4th, a ‘state of siege’ protest led to 874 arrests and a burned department store; protesters responded with a cacerolazo [source: nv-database]. A third proposal on August 18th reducing loan interest to 2% also failed [source: nv-database]. The Workers’ United Center organized a 48-hour general strike on August 25th, with an estimated 1,000,000 participants; one student was killed by police [source: nv-database]. On 31 August, the government ended state support for private profit-making institutions [source: nv-database]. Further protests in September led to another student being shot [source: nv-database]. In April 2012, a new funding plan was rejected by student leader Gabriel Boric [source: nv-database]. In late June, the Hinzpeter Law criminalizing occupation of public institutions was approved, drawing opposition from teachers and human rights groups [source: nv-database]. A nationwide teachers’ strike was held on August 28th [source: nv-database]. The last major march of 5,000 occurred on 27 September [source: nv-database]. In 2013, Michelle Bachelet won the presidency vowing free universal education, and Vallejo was elected to parliament [source: nv-database].

Key people & organizations

  • Camila Vallejo
  • Giorgio Jackson
  • CONFECH
  • FEUC
  • FECH
  • Central Unitaria de Trabajadores
  • Michelle Bachelet
  • Chilean Teachers Association
  • El Colegio de Profesores
  • Amnesty International
  • Greenpeace
  • Acción Asociación

Outcome

Verdict: partial.

The campaign achieved five out of six specific demands, including ending state support for for-profit institutions, but did not fully realize free public higher education for all. The government made significant changes, the president’s approval rating dropped, and subsequent electoral victories by allies promised further reform. [source: nv-database]

Lessons

  • Creative and humorous nonviolent tactics can sustain public attention and build broad support.
  • A clear, unified set of demands presented by a representative coalition strengthens negotiating power.
  • Social media is an effective tool for organizing mass protests and spreading campaign messages rapidly.

Sources

Disclaimer: Included as a teaching example of campaign craft, not as endorsement.

Sources & verification

  • nv-database — grounding: primary — license: link-only
  • Rewritten: 2026-06-25 via worker_casestudies_v2.py

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