In early 2011, there was unrest in the streets of Santiago, Chile.

Students from across the country were protesting to demand access to free public education.

Hundreds of police officers wearing riot gear faced off with the protesters.

First came the water cannons, then the tear gas.

But amid the smoke, one protester held his ground.

A black street dog was barking or ladrando.

He was like a soldier who defended the students.

In the streets, people called this four-legged protester, Matapacos.

It's a Chilean slang word that literally means police killer.

It refers to the fierce way he defended protesters against the riot police.

He never actually heard anyone, but he wasn't afraid to bark, especially when he was under attack.

But to Maria Campos, the dog was simply, bebe, her baby.

He was her dog.

She had adopted him from the streets, one of many street dogs she had taken care of since

she was a little kid.

But he was a hero.

Bebe made his first appearance at student protests in the early 2010s.

When a massive wave of demonstrations rocked Chile in 2019, Bebe went from famous to infamous.

Bienvenidos and welcome to the Duolingo Spanish podcast.

I'm Martina Castro.

Every episode we bring you fascinating, true stories to help you improve your Spanish

listening and gain new perspectives on the world.

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