Ruxin Ye

About Ruxin Ye

http://www.colby.edu/directory_cs/rye21/

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Venda sexy y Villa Grimaldi

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*CW: following blog may contain triggering content, including violence, sexual assault and torture*

Before coming onto this trip, I have always thought about protests as an action, a verb, something that humans actively participate in. However, I have learned in Chile that physical sights can also be participants in protesting the regime or human rights abuses. 

We visited two former torture sights during the dictatorship called Villa Grimaldi and Venda Sexy. They were both residential homes of people who fled after the coup and have been seized by the dictatorship to use as torture houses. Captured detainees, who are usually intellectuals, revolutionaries, social activists and communists, were taken here to suffer. After the tormenting period ended, Villa Grimaldi was transformed into a memorial site and stand there as a constant reminder of what happened here and the continued protest to human rights abuses. There are reproductions of the torture houses, exhibitions of detainees’ belongings and many pieces of art that commemorated the exploitation that happened here. The woman who guided our tour, Lucretia, was a survivor of the sight and show explained the history of the house to us. Her presence and her positivity as well as strength is still another form of protest to the torture that happened here.

Venda Sexy, which means sexy blindfold in Spanish, was a torture sight specifically for women and political sexual torture. They used sexual assault (forced pregnancies, rape, forced nudity and other severe forms of sexual abuse) as a method of political oppression. The survivors and activists have been lobbying and negotiating to turn the house into a memorial sites but all their efforts so far has faced incredible legislative, legal and financial hurdles. Thus, as a form of protest, we had class on the public space right outside the house, educating passing pedestrians about the brutal history of the place and pressuring the house owner to sell or donate the property. Our physical presence, even if we didn’t chant anything, put up signs or demonstrate, was a pacific yet powerful mean of protesting. Our guest speaker, Beatriz, told us that they have tried to occupy the public space outside Venda sexy as a form of protest and the homeowner has repetitively tried to drive them away but since they don’t own the road, they have no means of stopping the protest. Visiting these sights and participating in their activism definitely opened my eyes to different ways of protesting, and the significance physical spaces carry in activism.

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Global Climate Strike, Santiago

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The most familiar type of protest that I attended in Chile was the Global Climate Strike in Santiago, as part of the Fridays for Future campaign. The strike happened during Chile’s national holiday, so people weren’t walking out of jobs or classrooms. Nonetheless, thousands of people showed up holding signs that proclaimed the importance of stopping climate change. The climate strike felt very globally connected, knowing that people in so many countries are striking at the same time. However, the climate strike took on a little Chilean spin, bringing relevant and current issues, demanding changes. Many protestors also carried flags for LGBTQ+ people, women’s rights and Mapuche people, reminding the attendees that social movements really cannot exist singularly without each other.

The Constitution that was drafted in 1980 during the Pinochet military dictatorship allowed for the privatization of water. The government thus granted water rights of 90% of the water resources in the country to corporations and industries for free, allowing them to abuse and capitalize on the natural resource. Therefore, many chants that we heard at the march were demanding the return of water rights to the people and the state. The protesters were chanting “el agua, el agua, el agua es su derecho!” And “Piñara, entiende, el agua no se vente!” We were chanting along because we truly believed that water should be a common good. Watching our host families conserve water, and having to buy bottled water for the classroom each day really reminded us how lucky we are to have access to this precious natural resource. 

In addition, the climate strike involved many young people and even children. As seen on National Protest Day, the youth of Santiago is very mobilized and political. People were standing on top of bus stops, holding signs that demanded the end of fossil fuel and the switch to clean energy. At the end of the march, protestors gathered at a park, where activist leaders gave speeches and performers played music. What caught everyone’s attention, however, is a young kid that got up on stage and gave a very passionate speech about his views on the future of the climate, and his future on this planet. The powerful motivation really touched everyone at the event.

Poblacíon La Victoria, Curarrehue

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Activism can be passionate, loud and visible, or it can be passive, simple and resilient. At Poclacíon La Victoria and Curarrehue, we saw two examples of resistance against gentrification, forceful displacement and environmental interference. The residents of these two areas stood their ground against the dictatorship and the neoliberal state to preserve their culture, their land and their identities.

Poblacíon La Victoria is a neighborhood at the outskirts of Santiago, where the Communist headquarters of Chile is located. La Victoria was a focal point of resistance during the Pinochet dictatorship. Journalists and communists who resided in the poblacíon where murdered and the administration set up police departments within the neighborhood. Yet, the neighborhood stood by their beliefs against the hegemony of the government and neoliberalism. To this day, they remain a monetarily poor community that employs a communist structure. Everyone in the community helps each other out and share meals at the communist center. The government currently mostly stay out of the Poblacíon and let them self-govern, except for collecting taxes.

For our last full week in Chile, we traveled 10 hours south to Curarrehue, a Mapuche (indigenous population of Chile) community on the border of Argentina. We stayed with Mapuche families and listened to their stories of resistance. As indigenous people who have lived on the land for thousands of years, their way of life is an active form of protest to the Capitalist, neoliberal economic system that destroyed their sacred land and threatens the livelihood of their community. The Werken (messenger) of the lof(community) led us to Trankura, one of their sacred rivers, and told us the story of how they fought hydroelectric companies from building hydro dams on this river to make profit. The projects would not only disrespect the Mapuche spiritual life, but also ruin their environment. Besides lobbying, debating in court, actively protesting, I believe that continued tranquil and self-sufficient lifestyle is a deliberate rejection to the Capitalistic ideologies. Families here live in harmony and help each other, and produce their own food and protect their own lands. The lifestyle really inspires me to rethink my daily life practices, and whether or not they align with my beliefs. 

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once de septiembre

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Being in Santiago in September is an irreplaceable experience. 46 years ago on September 11th, the first democratically elected socialist government led by President Allende was overthrown by Pinochet led military coup d’état, which bombed the Presidential palace (La Moneda) and detained — people. One of the largest sights of imprisonment and torture was Estadio Nacional (the national stadium). After dinner, our host parents drove us to the stadium, where a lot of people were already gathering. The fences of the stadium were covered in posters and photos, demanding justice for those who were tortured or disappeared. The flyers had photos of the missing and asked the question “Dónde Éstan?” (Where are they?), demanding the administration to give victim families an answer and reveal more information about the dictatorship. The military leaders have kept a pact of silence after the dictatorship ended. 

We lit a candle for our host parent’s friend’s brother, who still is missing. Afterwards, we went inside the stadium where a group was performing in all red. The sound of drums and fireworks lit up the stadium and everyone is cheering. I was deeply touched by the unity and positivity at this annual protest to commemorate the loss and the trauma. At the base of the stadium there was a small museum that recounted the story of the military coup and the dictatorship. Vigils like this where what seems like the entirety of Santiago came together and showed their strength as well as continued trauma through powerful chants, music, and performance, really redefined what “trauma” looks like in my perception. Especially in comparison with the same date in the United States, where the vigils are usually silent and pensive, once de septiembre at Estadio Nacional showed me that people can process pain and protest injustice in a multitude of ways. 

Our host mom also left signs with missing persons’ faces, information and the question “Dondé Estan?” downstairs of our apartment building. When we returned from Estadio Nacional to collect them, people have left paper cranes on some of the signs, sending their love and support. The continued protest all across the city goes to show that Santiago hasn’t forgotten, and Santiago will not forget.

National Protest Day in Santiago

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Hi! It’s Leaf here coming at you from Santiago, Chile. I am here for the month with IHP program studying and researching human rights.

We arrived in Santiago on September 1st, Monday, and only two days of recovery and adjustment later, it was National Protest Day. During class, we heard student protesters running across the street (our classroom space is in Providencia, an university district). During lunch, we saw on the news that the police was spraying water at protesters, who have gathered near the universities. All of us were very intrigued by the situation, but as newcomers to the country hesitated to participate. However that night, when my roommate and I arrived at our host families, (mind you, this is only the second night at our host families), our host mother is wrapped up in layers ready to go out. She asked us if we wanted to go protest with her. Having been interested in the situation all day but never had a chance or idea how to approach it, I jumped at the offer. Soon, with another layer of puffy jacket and scarves, grabbing some pots and pans, we’re out the door.

On our walk over, we learned that this is a neighborhood protest right near our complex. A similar protest happened in our neighborhood (La Nuñoa) during the day that was broken up by the police. This, to continue the effort, as well as to protest against police intervention, the residents decided to gather in small clusters all over the area, so that the police can’t do anything about their peaceful protest. 

Along the way, our host mom met several friends, hugged them tight and gave them passionate kisses on cheeks. I thought these must be her closest friend in the neighborhood, until we arrived at the gathering, and she proceeded to greet everyone with the same level of affection. That’s the first thing that struck me – the love and unity. Ignoring the banners, chants and the pots and pans, one could easily mistake this as a neighborhood reunion, with the tight hugs, silly selfies and even FaceTiming neighbors who cannot make it. The clear excitement and love in the air contradicts with the anger incited by what they are protesting against. With my best efforts to decipher the banners and flags, I gathered that there were many policies being  protested that night: including the privatization of pension and health care, and lowering minimum work hours.

From toddlers in strollers to elders, everyone had a smile on their face and pots in hand (a signature of Chilean protests) banging and chanting at the top of their lungs at the passing vehicles on the street. We returned home for dinner a hour later, as the protest quieted down. Yet after dinner, our host mom put her jacket back on and jumped back into the protest again.