Latin American Solidarity Network (LASNET)

Northcote Uniting Church Hall,

251 High St. Northcote
SATURDAY OCTOBER 29th
Two amazing live Latin American bands
“SON3” & “SON DE LA CALLE”
Plus exiting dance group “RITMO Y COLOR” from Peru & Colombia Tunjos y Cantaros dance group

$15/10 waged/ conc. – Latrobe Students and staff $10 – Solidarity $20

Friday October 7, Melbourne Trades Hall, 7pm
Films night Fifth Cycle: “Multinational Corporations and its future” (50 minutes) (Spanish with English subtitles) - Multinational corporations role in present economic crisis and
“Che Lives” (40 minutes) -
Importance of Che Guevara after 44 years of his physical disappearance: October 8th, 1967, Ernesto Che Guevara was detained in Bolivia and killed on October 9, under the command of the CIA-USA

To: Chilean Government 19 August, 2011

Mr. Sebastian Piñera
President of Chile
Palacio de la Moneda
Santiago - Chile

c/- Diego Velasco von Pilgrimm
Minister Counselor, Consul General of Chile in Melbourne, Australia
Level 13, 390 St. Kilda Road,
Melbourne, VIC 3004.

Dear Mr. Piñera,

With the ongoing mass mobilisations of students, and their supporters, across Chile, we write to you to add our voices to those of our Chilean brothers and sisters in their struggle for free, quality education for all, at all levels; justice; and real democracy; amongst other demands.

We feel that quality education is a basic human right, not a luxury consumer good. As such, the Chilean State’s ongoing process of liquidation and commodification of public education (as embodied by the merger, closure and endemic underfunding of municipal schools in poor neighbourhoods, the high level of student indebtedness, and the increasing precarity of employment for teachers, amongst others) is reprehensible, and that students have mobilised in opposition to this process is both reasonable and of a necessity to ensure the fulfilment of this right.

Finally, we remain concerned for the health and safety of the number of students maintaining a hunger strike, and for those partaking in demonstrations and occupations; we find it unacceptable that harm has, and may continue to, come to those mobilised for the basic right to free, quality education.

For an education for the people, not profit!

Yours Sincerely,

Latin American Solidarity Network (LASNET)
Movement for Peace and Justice - Brisbane
Memoria Viva – Sydney
Colombia Demand Justice Campaign
Chilean Popular & Indigenous Solidarity Network
Mt Nancy Town No mining No Forestry Campaign Friends of the Earth Melbourne
Mujeres Latinoamericanas, Community Radio 3CR
Chile Solidarity – Canberra
Solidaridad para América Latina - Tasmania
Human Rights Initiative - Tasmania
University Students Association
Latin American Solidarity Society - Latrobe University, Victoria
Australia-Honduras Solidarity Coalition

(names of individuals withheld)

Please distribute this letter.
If do you like to add name or/and your organisation send it to lasnet@latinlasnet.org, thanks

Emergency Solidarity Meeting for Chilean Students in Struggle
Friday, August 19 · 11:00am - 1pm
Chilean Consulate, Melbourne
390 St Kilda Road, St Kilda
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

As a show of solidarity with the Chilean students in struggle, a handful of people (18-20) gathered today outside the Chilean Consulate in St Kilda Road, Melbourne. We delivered a letter to the Consulate, signed by various groups and individuals from across Australia, outlining our support for the students’ demands and concerns about the repressive actions of the Chilean State.