WEEKLY NEWS UPDATE ON THE AMERICAS
ISSUE #352, OCTOBER 27, 1996
NICARAGUA SOLIDARITY NETWORK OF GREATER NEW YORK
339 LAFAYETTE ST., NEW YORK, NY 10012 (212) 674-9499
The communist leadership of the University of Chile Student Federation (FECh) was reelected on Oct. 24 with 47% of the 9,000 student votes registered, out of a student body of 16,000. The PC Youth and leftist independent slate came in 17 points ahead of the government's Concertacion alliance, made up of the Christian Democrats (PDC), the Socialist Party (PS) and the Party for Democracy (PPD). The ecology slate won 10% of the votes, and the rightist Independent Democratic Union (UDI) and National Renovation (RN) parties won 7% and 5% of the votes, respectively.
The leftist FECh governing board, headed by Communist Party (PC) member Rodrigo Roco, has led the students' organization since it was voted in for a one-year transition period on Oct. 24, 1995 [see Update #300]. That vote reestablished the FECh, which had disbanded in October 1993 after elections failed to attract the necessary 30% voter quorum. Before the 1973 military coup, the FECh was an active participant in national politics, and during 1973-1990 military regime, it played a key role in political protests against the dictatorship. [CHIP News 10/25/96]