Santiago Court of Appeals Admits Writ of Protection; Mayor Desbordes Must Answer for Ban on Colegio de Profesores Leaders at Insuco

The First Chamber of the Santiago Court of Appeals admitted a writ of protection against the Municipality of Santiago after national teachers\’ union president Mario Aguilar and Metropolitan regional secretary Rosa María Montecinos were barred from entering the Instituto Superior de Comercio (Insuco) for a meeting with faculty during hours legally reserved for union activities.

\»Despite the Municipality of Santiago\’s anti-union action, teachers went ahead and held the meeting on the sidewalk,\» the union said in a press note.

The Municipality of Santiago, led by Mayor Mario Desbordes (RN), must now \»respond and report on the basis for the ban,\» the Colegio de Profesores added.

«Political proselytizing»

On July 30, Colegio de Profesores president Mario Aguilar told the press from outside Insuco: \»We just had a meeting on the street because the Municipal Education Administration (DAEM) and the Municipality of Santiago ordered that neither I nor Metropolitan leader Rosa María Montecinos could go in—an unheard-of, arbitrary and absolutely illegal decision.\»

\»Teachers at the Instituto Superior de Comercio have a protocol-protected space for these meetings, so this measure is entirely arbitrary. I applaud my colleagues at Insuco for deciding to hold the meeting in the street anyway, publicly exposing this arbitrary, illegal and wholly abusive act by the Municipality of Santiago,\» Aguilar added at the time.

From the school, union representative Alejandro Díaz explained that the restriction was issued \»through the school principal, who indicated the decision came from the Municipal Education Directorate and the Mayor\’s Office, stating that Mario Aguilar could not attend due to alleged political proselytizing.\»

\»We consider it unacceptable that our operator and employer engage in these anti-union practices. We will file the relevant complaints with the competent bodies, chiefly the Office of the Comptroller General, so these situations do not occur—not only at this school, but to protect our right to speak and be informed by our representative, Mario Aguilar,\» the Insuco teacher said.

El Ciudadano