Towards a New Chilean Constitution
A leaderless social movement gathering millions of people across Chile began in October 2019. After decades of protests over healthcare, pensions, education and other issues, these multiple demands converged as one general clamour for social justice and dignity. The referendum for the new constitution, one of the core objectives, would reveal that the status quo had lost legitimacy and that the Chilean people were demanding the r
The Chilean Spring (Part Two): It’s Thirty Years, not Thirty Pesos
Major news outlets seem to suggest that the current situation in Chile is based solely on the thirty-peso price hike in the underground fare. This, however, is far from the truth. While many people – especially secondary students – found the measure incredibly unfair and started fare-dodging in protest, the underlying issues now facing Chilean citizens go back more than thirty years to the genesis of neoliberal reforms which
The Chilean Spring (Part One): Tip of the Iceberg
On 13 October, Chile’s Transport Ministry announced that the Santiago underground fare would rise by 30 Chilean pesos, the equivalent of three pence sterling. This may seem a small amount to people in Britain or the US, but for a Chilean worker, whose average salary is under £350 a month, it means yet another burden. Commuters in Santiago spend around £50 a month on transport. Imagine having to feed a family and pay numerous
