The Reawakening of the Student Movement in Chile: A Discussion of the Incorporation of Protest as a Manifestation of Citizenship through the Lens of Public Opinion Data

Tear gas, water cannons, and violence were for years a common sight in the center of Santiago, Chile. This paper aims to assess whether such protest in Chile further fractured the already weakened citizen-state obligations, or conversely, served as a catalyst for a deeper citizenship bond. Focusing on the presidencies of Michelle Bachelet and Sebastian Piñera, and their reactions to the student movement, analysis of public opinion data finds evidence that the citizen-state relationship has progressively evolved to becoming more responsive and productive, particularly in the process of extending recognition of formal social rights. Despite the violence, which could be interpreted as disarticulating citizenship, as in Pinochet’s times, the democratic system managed to incorporate protest and address protesters’ demands for reform as part of an evolving definition of citizenship.