“Rebelión en la ciudadela universitaria”: el movimiento estudiantil reformista de los años sesenta en la Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, y el derrocamiento del clan Edwards

Abstract

The 1966 academic year at the Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María began with a major student strike in protest against the strict regulations and a system of governance led by Agustín Edwards Eastman, regarded as authoritarian and monarchical. Years of accumulated student discontent culminated the following year in an extended strike and occupation of university facilities, which lasted six months and intensified demands for profound reforms. The lack of satisfactory responses from university authorities further deepened the conflict, prompting the intervention of the National Congress and the government of Eduardo Frei Montalva, ultimately resulting in the drafting of new statutes for the university. This process marked the beginning of university reform at the institution and the definitive departure of the Edwards clan from its administration as of 1968. Through the examination of archival records from the period and the testimonies of some of its key actors, this study seeks to reconstruct and analyze the main milestones of this historic student mobilization, which significantly reshaped the course of this regional university with a scientific and technological focus.