Chile’s New (Fragile) Social Truce
Chile’s New (Fragile) Social Truce
The coronavirus halted Chile’s protest movement, but a prolonged crisis could exacerbate discontent.
SANTIAGO – Chilean politics have been a rollercoaster of late. Protests in mid-October, after President Sebastián Piñera announced a 4-cent increase in subway fares, quickly morphed into nationwide demonstrations. As the dust settled, and Piñera ceded to protesters’ demands, the country began to prepare for one of the most consequential debates of its recent history, over whether or not to draft a whole new constitution.
It was in this complex political environment that the coronavirus crisis emerged.
Suddenly, a government that lacked legitimacy with the public had to...
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