The sun is about to rise on the long night of Chile. In the South American country, which is the third largest economy in the region (but the first in terms of GDP per capita) and was among the most efficient in the world on the vaccination campaign, there was still a page to turn, and of no small importance given that it concerns democratic stability: the current Constitution dates back to the times of the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, which ended over 30 years ago. On Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 May, citizens are finally called to the polls, as well as for local elections, also and above all to elect the constituent assembly, which will be composed only of members of civil society and will have the task of drafting the new charter. A piece that has been talked about for some time, and which was only partially overshadowed by the fulgida economic growth which has made Chile an attractive country for investments in recent years, with a low level of corruption and a relatively low public debt. Chile is also the the world's largest copper producer, a raw material that it is becoming very precious and which makes China the first trading partner.
But all that glitters is not gold: two years ago the (centre-right) president Sebastian Piñera broke the bank and took a series of decisions (including that of increasing the price of public transport) which caused the cost to soar of life, unleashing violent protests across the country. The clashes with the police, especially in the capital Santiago, have gradually degenerated into a real massacre of civilians, opening a new dark page in the history of Chile, which for several months has thus relived the ghosts of the 1973 military coup, when the then president, the socialist and very popular Salvador Allende was ousted with weapons. From a protest against the cost of living and inequalities, the popular revolt soon expanded to broader needs, first of all the review of the democratic rules of a country that is still licking the wounds of the almost thirty-year dictatorship of Pinochet, despite being in meanwhile become a champion of economic growth.
In October 2020 the first turning point: the continuous mobilization, especially of the younger sections of the population, convinced President Pinera to launch a constitutional reform project, which finally makes Chile a liberal state, a complete democracy. What is at stake above all is the formation of a public welfare system, starting with education guaranteed to all, free and quality health care and the right to a decent pension and a home. For the first time in history, a country has delegated the writing of a constitutional charter to an assembly entirely elected by and among the people. The feminist movement in particular, very well rooted in Chile and one of the protagonists of the rebellion, insisted on this formula. They will be also represent minorities, in particular the indigenous ethnic groups, whose protection will certainly be included in the new text: out of the 155 seats to be elected in the constituent assembly, 17 are reserved for the Indians.
This too is a not insignificant detail: throughout South America the need to give dignity and rights to ethnic minorities is growing more and more, unlike what has been done in the recent past. In the last general elections in Ecuador, the indigenous Pachakutik party, led by Yaku Pérez and which in any case became the second force in Parliament, with 27 seats, risked going to the ballot. The winner, the conservative and anti-abortionist Guillermo Lasso, has only 12 seats and therefore leads a minority government, which will inevitably have to listen to the left and the Indian movement. Returning to Chile, after its election, the new assembly has nine months (which can be extended up to a year) to prepare a Constitution which will then be submitted to a referendum. In the meantime, in November of this year, the country goes to vote on policies, and there could already be signs of a turning point. The road is still winding, but Chile sees the light.
