For years Chile was seen as a regional success story of the neoliberal economic model. As the country with the highest Human Development Index (HDI) in Latin America, it has always been considered by advocates of neoliberalism as an example to follow. However, behind the positive economic indicators there was hidden a hard truth: Chile was also one of the countries with the largest inequality gap in the region.
The Chilean people gave another example of consciousness and strength this Sunday 25 October. The Constitution inherited from Pinochet’s dictatorship was rejected by 78% of voters in the plebiscite that turned out 7.5 million people, the highest electoral participation in the history of the country.
The cornavirus crisis has highlighted class division worldwide, from heightened police repression, to attacks on public services. Here are some examples:
Unfortunately Pablo Larrain’s film ’No’ tells nothing about the background to Chile’s 1988 plebiscite and the struggle against the regime. It is 1988, Santiago, Chile, and 15 years into the vicious Pinochet dictatorship. The military regime has been compelled to call a plebiscite on the continuation of Pinochet’s presidency. The […]
