The Rector of the University of Austral (UACh), Egon Montecinos, publicly rejected claims that his administration prevented police from entering the Valdivia campus during a student protest on Wednesday. The demonstration resulted in Science Minister Ximena Lincolao being heckled, shoved, and sprayed with water.
Reports circulating in local media, including La Tercera, alleged that Carabineros requested entry to the campus to extract the Minister and restore order, but were denied by university officials. These reports suggested the university’s refusal stopped the deployment of Control of Order Public (COP) units, as police require institutional authorization to access private university grounds.
Minister Lincolao did not have a permanent security detail or protection from the Department of Protection of Important Persons (PPI) at the time of the incident. Authorities had previously assigned her role a low-risk classification.
Montecinos demands correction
Montecinos addressed the accusations directly on the social media platform X, labeling the reports as "false." He urged journalists to contact General Contreras, the regional police chief for Los Ríos, to verify the facts.
"This is false, I suggest they call General Contreras of the Los Ríos police zone or that the journalist himself corrects this," Montecinos wrote. He further emphasized that the university could not have denied a request that was never made.
In a direct response to Deputy Diego Schalper, who had criticized the university’s handling of the event, the rector reiterated his stance. "Deputy, this is not factual. I spoke with General Contreras minutes ago and also with the journalist from La Tercera, Francisco Corvalán, so that they correct this. One cannot deny something that is not requested," he stated.
The rector’s denial creates a conflict regarding the events at the Valdivia campus. Questions remain regarding the level of coordination between university authorities and police forces during the protest that led to the minister's assault.
