|  ElCiudadano.cl |  Noticias

El Ciudadano

Original article: La trampa de la violencia

By Jorge Sharp

The recent incident of aggression against Minister of Science and Technology, Ximena Lincolao, at the Austral University in Valdivia, reflects far-reaching consequences that cannot be viewed merely as an isolated action by a group of students.

This event highlights an environment conducive to the agenda of the far right and the government, which has skillfully leveraged this episode to regain control of the narrative it had previously lost. It also provides an opportunity for the social movement—particularly the student movement—to shape their strategies and organization over the next four years.

Violence: The Fuel of the Far Right

Today, violence has become the most effective fuel for the far-right machinery. Globally, its leaders have succeeded in legitimizing within democratic systems narratives that heighten violence and hatred, framing the existence of an internal enemy that must be expelled. They exploit the fear and uncertainty experienced by large segments of society.

The left falls into this trap. Feeling disconnected from the real society (not the one that exists in its imagination), it assumes that the way to overcome this disconnection is to mimic the same tactics: if they shout loudly and garner ‘likes’ and votes, then all that remains is to raise their voices.

Consequently, the political landscape is shaped by narratives surrounding violence, defining what constitutes violent behavior, who is deemed violent, and which actions warrant condemnation.

The events in Valdivia provide a pre-scripted narrative for the far right and the government to roll out their rhetoric of «violence, security, and order,» while simultaneously allowing them to undermine the legitimacy of the student movement. Furthermore, they serve as a smokescreen, drawing public debate towards condemning the aggression, thus sidelining urgent issues: the questioning of the government’s economic and social agenda that is fracturing the wellbeing of millions of Chilean families.

This creates a perfect cocktail for the far right.

Violence Serves the Status Quo

Any form of political mobilization and dissent against the current government’s management cannot ignore the fact that the far right has successfully permeated a significant sector of society with the idea that what occurred in October 2019 was merely an outbreak of violence, rather than the largest mass social mobilization seen in recent times.

It is essential to recognize that violence does not engage society; rather, it breeds rejection, fatigue, and a retreat towards authoritarianism. It legitimizes hardline discourses and justifies the curtailing of rights and freedoms, inhibiting the oxygenation and democratization of politics. Each act of violence becomes a score for those who promise «order» at any cost.

Violence is functional to the status quo because it effectively counters the political constitution of organized majorities. The far right would always prefer to face a handful of individuals acting in isolation than a massive collective with a defined strategy willing to execute it.

Reemphasizing Mass Movements: Non-Violent Struggles

The broad and diverse Chilean social movement—comprising student, feminist, environmentalist, labor, community, and territorial groups—has demonstrated over the past two decades its unique strength and capacity to radically democratize the political landscape and society, which is precisely what is needed today.

Reclaiming this role requires restoring legitimacy, mass mobilization, and public support, inevitably leading to a revision and renewal of their methods of struggle. This entails recognizing that their transformative power lies in committing to massive social organization.

Embracing peaceful resistance and non-violent means in response to the unpopular measures enacted by the current government—or any future government—may serve as a viable path toward that end. Such an approach would not represent a sign of weakness but rather a strategic leap toward a superior form of political engagement that possesses a nuanced understanding of the context in which they operate.

History’s significant social movements that have adopted these strategies and modes of struggle teach us that true power for enacting change resides in a cohesive, conscious mass with clear objectives and an unbreakable ethical stance, rather than in the outpouring of an isolated group.

Recognizing the Moment: Fighting for Everyone’s Well-Being is Fighting for Social Peace

This first month of governance has made it clear that the government’s agenda will increasingly make it harder for families to make ends meet. Its measures are aggressive and violate the living conditions of the majority, failing to contribute to social peace.

This is where the social movement must direct its actions: fighting for the well-being of everyone. In doing so, it will also be striving for social peace, which can only be achieved through justice.

Limiting the response to merely condemning violence only paralyzes political action. What is needed is to advance towards massive social organization, which is the spearhead of the strategy to battle for peace, justice, and the well-being of all.

This will require a social movement equipped with renewed strategic intelligence, the capacity to innovate in organizational methods, and the willingness to understand that contending for common sense and winning the hearts of Chilean families will necessitate struggles that do not inadvertently support the agenda of those they seek to oppose.

Jorge Sharp

La entrada The Trap of Violence: How It Fuels the Far Right Agenda se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.