A fresh clash erupted between Santiago mayor Mario Desbordes and children's defender Anuar Quesille over the implementation of the Safe Classroom Law in local schools. Quesille dismissed claims of his institution's opposition to the law as a 'myth,' while Desbordes accused him of siding with those who justify violence. This dispute revives earlier tensions from November.
The disagreement between Mario Desbordes, Santiago's mayor from Renovación Nacional, and Anuar Quesille, the children's defender, escalated this Friday over the Safe Classroom Law, aimed at shielding school environments from violence.
As early as November, Desbordes had criticized Quesille for an Administrative Tutelage Action filed by the Defensoría against the law's use at the National Boarding School Barros Arana (INBA), accusing him of obstructing municipal efforts and supporting aggressors. Quesille denied endorsing any violence in educational settings.
In an interview on T13 Radio, Quesille stated that the Defensoría's alleged opposition to the law is "a myth installed by Mayor Desbordes." He elaborated: “This law has compliance standards issues (…), but in my role as children's defender, I could never prevent an authority or anyone from applying a law that is in force.”
The Municipality issued a statement in response, with Desbordes saying: “I regret that the Children's Defender is on the side of those who promote or justify violence and not on the side of the vast majority of students and families who only want to study in peace.” Education Director Pilar Lazo added that Quesille's statements "lack legal basis and show a complete disconnect from the reality" faced by educational communities, hindering proper services.
The municipality pointed to figures like the INBA's current 200 students, compared to its historical 2,000, and the halving of enrollment at the Aplicación High School from 2021 to 2024, blamed on “extreme violence.” These positions highlight ongoing tensions in managing school safety in Santiago.
