The Fight for a New Chile Goes On
The defeat of Chile’s draft constitution is a blow, but support for replacing the Pinochet-era document remains strong – and the necessity of burying neoliberalism’s legacy is as vital as ever.
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Melany Cruz is a lecturer in international politics at the University of Leicester.
The defeat of Chile’s draft constitution is a blow, but support for replacing the Pinochet-era document remains strong – and the necessity of burying neoliberalism’s legacy is as vital as ever.
Today Chile is voting on a new constitution. By replacing Pinochet’s document with one that guarantees social, economic and environmental rights, Chileans have a chance to bury the legacy of neoliberalism once and for all.
The recent attack by The Economist on Chile’s new draft constitution is no surprise – it’s just the latest in the magazine’s decades-long campaign against South American democracy.
Gabriel Boric was sworn in today as Chilean president. From dropping cases against activists to putting feminism at the heart of his government, he has already broken with the country’s recent past.
Gabriel Boric’s Cabinet is Chile’s most left-wing in decades, but remains a compromise with the moderate forces which dominate Parliament – a sign that the fight against neoliberalism is only beginning.
Gabriel Boric’s landmark victory in this month’s Chilean election was built on the foundations of the 2019 protest movement – but also showed a Left capable of building alliances beyond its traditional strongholds.
Yesterday’s first round election in Chile has left the country with a stark choice – a far-right candidate who admires the legacy of Pinochet or a left-wing reformer pledging to tackle social inequality.
Today’s referendum in Chile provides the opportunity to scrap the right-wing constitution introduced by the Pinochet regime – and rebuild the country on a truly democratic basis.