The editorial chief of Faro UDD, Fernanda García, addressed the political repercussions following the aggression suffered by the Minister of Science, Ximena Lincolao, during an event at the Universidad Austral de Chile. In a conversation with Al Pan Pan with Mirna Schindler, the academic highlighted that the attack generated widespread condemnation, which she believes represents a significant point of agreement in the public debate. "It would be a shame if we lost the opportunity to advance in this achievement, which is that we are finally all in agreement on something," she stated.
García warned, however, that there is a risk that the episode could be used politically, which could distort that consensus. In this context, she mentioned that recent discussions related to security in universities, such as the inspection of backpacks in educational institutions, had already begun to be politicized. "For many, it is very violent to suggest that a university student should have their backpack checked...
but taking it to the caricature that the government is super conservative and does not respect privacy... was also a political use of that debate," she argued. The academic also addressed the difficulties faced by university authorities in managing conflict situations within campuses.
In her view, decisions made by university authorities are often interpreted through a political lens, which simplifies a scenario that is usually complex to manage. When asked if she sees political exploitation of the case from various sectors, García responded that this phenomenon occurs on both sides of the spectrum. "There is a tendency on both sides...
to simplify arguments... to invoke them in favor of a position that is more political than substantive," she affirmed. …
"That exists, and we are seeing it, and it is the degradation of public debate," she noted. Finally, García suggested that both academics and media should contribute to raising the level of public discussion and avoid using current events solely for partisan purposes. "We need to make an effort...
so that not everything is a soundbite, that not everything is taken out of context and used for a political end," she concluded.