A trenchant analysis of the events that brought Chile to its current “deplorable” state by writer Sergio Muñoz. He sees the potential adoption of the new constitution as the most serious existential threat ever to the nation-state of Chile.
On the process that triggered the call for constitutional change, he says:
“The agreement of November 15, 2019 which was determined at some point as the institutional route, actually undermined the functioning of those institutions. Congress failed to fulfil its duties and gave away its constitutional powers to a kind of second Parliament”
And:
“The elements that aligned to crystallize the demand for a new constitution were the fear caused by the violence, political blindness, partisan calculations and also various forms of opportunism.”
He clearly doesn’t buy the estallido popular story either…
Honestly, I have lost patience with this country, with the eternal conflicts, public and private dishonesty, the breakdown of law and order, and the generalized selfishness and lack of common sense that makes everyday life so fraught these days.
If I had anywhere else to go to, I’d be long gone. As it is I can only vote Rechazo and hope for the best!
Inverting JFK’s speech to suit the local mindset:
“And so, my fellow Chileans: ask not what you can do for your country — ask what your country can do for you.”
Definitely not. It’s sad. At least we are cushioned from the worst of it. Where we live it is relatively peaceful. Even in the estallido, there were only a few isolated incidents. Still, the bigger picture is not pretty.
Curiously enough, we just had a visitor from the US leave. A Chilean guy resident in AZ who wants to bring his family here because of the amount of violence back home…world’s going to hell.