Protests in South America

October saw large protests.

• In La Paz, Bolivia, thousands of people turned out to support 1,000 indigenous Amazonians who had been marching to the capital for over two months protesting a planned road through the Isiboro Sécure National Park & Indigenous Territory rainforest reserve in which they live. The government wants to build the road to develop the economy, but the protesters say it will destroy their way of life.

• In Santiago, Chile, student demonstrators, who had been protesting for several months, continued to demand that the government reform the current educational system, which they say is unequal and underfunded. The protesters have widespread popular support, and teachers and trade unions have joined in several national strikes.

• In Bogotá, Colombia, demonstrators protested a government proposal to reform the current system of public education in order to bring in financial resources. Students say the reforms will lead to partial privatization of the public universities and restrict access to higher education for those from lower-income families.