Fabiola Campillai

Fabiola Andrea Campillai Rojas (born May 17, 1983) is a Chilean Senator known for losing her sight in a case of police brutality in the 2019 Chilean protests.

Before entering politics, Campillai worked in various occupations and was social leader. Since 2022, she has served as an independent member of the Senate of Chile, representing the Metropolitan Region, supported by social movements and victims' groups.

In 2019, she became a national symbol of the victims of police violence during the social protests, after losing her sight and sense of smell and taste when she was struck in the face by a tear-gas canister fired by police while on her way to work.

Biography She was born on 17 May 1983 in the commune of San Bernardo. She is the daughter of María Rojas García and Luis Campillai Tarifeño. She completed her secondary education at the Fidel Pinochet Le-Brun High School in San Bernardo and at the Liceo Manuel Barros Borgoño in Santiago.

From an early age, she worked in caregiving and in various occupations, such as shop assistant and production operator at the food company Carozzi.

Police incident She is a former worker and firefighter.

Campillai was going to her nighttime work when she was hit by the grenade. She was accompanied by her sister, Ana María, when the incident happened. Ana María immediately confronted the police squad who shot the grenade, but had a grenade shot next to her causing her dress to catch fire.

In November 2021 Campillai was elected senator for Santiago Metropolitan Region with 15% of the valid votes in the 2021 Chilean general election, receiving more votes than any other candidate in her district. She celebrated her election in Plaza Baquedano.