Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Judi Lynn

(160,211 posts)
Sun May 23, 2021, 02:55 AM May 2021

Chileans Voted for an End to Neoliberalism



BY
PABLO ABUFOM
Last week, the people of Chile voted for sweeping structural reform and an end to neoliberalism. It's one of the Left's biggest victories since the end of Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship.



If just two years ago someone had said that the Left in Chile would today be celebrating one of its biggest political victories since the nation’s democratic transition away from Pinochet’s dictatorship, many would have balked. And yet, here we are.

Elections on May 15 and 16 for local and regional offices and for members of the Constitutional Convention have completely changed the national political landscape in Chile. The Right, gathered around president Sebastián Piñera, was dealt a major blow, and the ruling centrist coalition, Concertación, collapsed spectacularly. The Left and social movements swept the contest, winning a series of vital political offices and, perhaps most importantly, majority representation in the assembly responsible for drafting Chile’s new constitution.

The two-day mega election — deciding mayorships, municipal councils, regional governorships, and the composition of the Convention — is a milestone, the impact of which will resonate for decades to come. By winning substantial representation, the Left made good on the promise of radical change announced by the popular revolt that broke out on October 18, 2019. Just as importantly, a clear signal was sent that Chile’s reigning transitional regime — brokered at the end of the dictatorship between the center-left, the Right, and the military — is on life support.

Left-wing parties Frente Amplio and the Chilean Communist Party made major inroads into local and regional governments, and won numerous seats at the Constitutional Convention. The non-party left — feminist and environmental movements, in particular, as well as representatives from First Nations and Indigenous peoples — also won important political offices, and will be sending a number of representatives to the Convention. On balance, almost overnight, a left-wing groundswell has achieved major footing in institutional politics, an arena from which it had been almost entirely excluded for decades.

More:
https://www.jacobinmag.com/2021/05/chile-may-elections-constitutional-convention-new-constitution-frente-amplio-chilean-communist-party-alliances-left-bloc
Latest Discussions»Region Forums»Latin America»Chileans Voted for an End...