Chile may be back from suicide...
Back from suicide
The picture coming out of Chile in the last years was one of despair, of a country that once broke the mold of Latin American populism and started a path towards institutional quality that led it to be among the 25 best countries in that field (see Institutional Quality Index 2021: https://www.libertadyprogreso.org/en/2021/06/10/institutional-quality-index-2021/ )
Chileans were committing institutional suicide, calling for a constitutional reform, then resigning from voting members of a constitutional convention, then having one populated for all sorts of characters from the left and groups asking specific rights to all sorts of minorities. Let’s be clear on this, they were not asking for these minorities to have equal treatment and the same rights as anyone else in Chile, they wanted specific rights for their groups, breaking therefore this long standing rule of law principle of equal consideration under the law.
As expected, the outcome was a patchwork of all sorts of woke principles, to the point that even the present government is giving up on it. The Convention wrote a project that must be subject to a referendum that will take place next September 4th. Originally it looked that approval would be the outcome, but as time went by the situation changed and now it seems clear that a majority will vote to reject it. Even president Boric himself is already giving up on it and talking about what may happen after the Rejection wins.
There is now an intense debate. If the Constitutional project is rejected, do they fall back on the now standing Constitution? Boric mentioned they should start the process again. Is it with the same Convention members? Very unlikely. Should a new process be started by calling a new Convention? Should they, or Congress, just make needed reforms in the present project or start a new one from scratch?
Very interesting debate. Regardless on how it ends, I believe it is very good news and encouraging to find Chileans who understand they were committing institutional and political suicide, taking a step back and reconsidering. Anything coming out of such a process will be much better than what they have now. Most probably not the best outcome, but good enough to give some hope that there is a chance to rescue from suicide Chile’s institutional quality.