Article Link: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-54687090
Last year protests erupted in Chile after a spike in metro fare prices. Although the protests were sparked by the rise in prices, they were sustained by the frustration of economic inequality and elitism within Chile. Although Chile is the richest country in South America (per capita), it’s wealth is not equally distributed. In fact, it’s one of the world’s most economically unequal nations.
The protests lessened at the beginning of the pandemic, but after the lockdowns eased the demonstrations continued. The protests generated a nationwide vote to decide if a new constitution should be created. About a week ago, a vote was held to replace the principles created under Pinochet’s military dictatorship.
78% of voters called for a new constitution to be created. 79% of voters from that pool chose to have the constitution drafted by elected citizens, this will allow for a diverse group of people to develop the new principles for the Chile government.
The ability for Chilean voters to elect the group drafting the constitution is a huge achievement. This will provide the opportunity for a diverse group of people to be at the table. More voices will be represented. And, hopefully, the constitution will be more inclusive and spark the beginning of a new political and economic movement towards equality.
The hope for the new constitution is that it will represent lower classes, provide education and accessible medical care. In fact, many citizens are calling for the constitution to declare education, healthcare, and housing basic human rights.
The new constitution will be an example for other countries that have significant economic inequality, such as Brazil and Mexico. The success of the protests within Chile could motivate and encourage similar movements around the world. The new constitution may generate economic stability and help Chile become a larger role on the global stage.
The protests were largely organized and maintained by younger generations. Older groups of people described their gratitude for the youth leaders. While people of all ages participated in the protests, older generations, many drained from protests against the Pinochet dictatorship, the youth initiated the movement.
This follows the trend of younger generations facilitating protests around the world. I attribute this to globalization and advancement in technology. The ability for the youth to learn about other countries, other governments, and to communicate together has sparked widespread political activism within younger generations.