January 19 2021
Deepening Democracy in Chile: from social crisis to constitutional revolution?
Hosted by the Latin America and Caribbean Centre and the International Inequalities Institute
In 2019, an explosion of social protest brought Chile to a standstill. Protesters had many far-reaching demands, not least the establishment of a new constitution and greater social justice in health, education, and pensions. These demands, however, met only with repression from security forces, who showed scant respect for protesters’ human rights. Unrest continued well into 2020 and was only contained inadvertently by the country’s first COVID-19 lockdown.
But social pressure has proved remarkably successful. In the national plebiscite of October 2020, Chileans voted overwhelmingly in favour of setting up a constituent assembly, yet many questions remain about the country’s past and future. What factors lay behind the protests? Will a new consitution manage to satisfy social and political demands for change? Will it be able to lay the foundations for a fairer and more equitable society? This panel will debate these and other issues crucial to the future of Chile and the wider region.
Speakers: Emmanuelle Barozet (Professor of Sociology, University of Chile), Javier Couso (Professor of Constitutional Law, Diego Portales University, Chile), Oscar Landerretche (Professor of Economics, University of Chile)
Chair: Kirsten Sehnbruch (Professor and Distinguished Policy Fellow, LSE III)