La batalla de la dignidad / Fighting for a different worldOn October 2019 in Chile started the biggest popular rebellion against the neo-liberal system in LatinAmerica and one of the deepest processes of social change thanks to a constant struggle starting from a simple protest up to change the highest roles of the state and the change of the Constitution. A struggle that is followed despite the hard repression suffered, died people, wounded and imprisoned.
Under the pretext of protesting against the increase in the metro ticket fares instigated by the government of Sebastian Piñera, a struggle waged by the Chilean people against a system which, in fact, is one of the most unequal of the entire continent, where 1% of the population controls 33% of national wealth. After one year of intense clashes finally, on October,26,2020, a referendum was granted by the government and the results were historic for the country: Victory by a very large majority for the yes to the constitutional reform which passes with 78.28% of the votes with a turnout of 50.83%. The country therefore voted to change the constitution of the Pinochet era. On May,2021 the historic elections for the constituent have marked a landslide victory for those who are struggling to change the system. Iraci Hassler, a woman mayor was elected in Santiago and Elisa Loncòn, a Mapuche woman, was elected as president of the constituent assembly, marking an epochal change in the history of this country. On Nov 21,2021 Chileans voted for the new president, parliament and regional governors and, in the first round the candidates elected to deal with the ballot were the representative of the extreme right José Antonio Kast and the candidate of the left coalition rested by the Communist Party, Gabriel Boric. The extreme polarization of politics in the country was highlighted again. At the ballot of Dec 19,2021 there was a historic district record of voters and Gabriel Boric, 35 years old leader of the left coalition ‘Apruebo Dignidad’ was elected as younger president in the history of the country and was the candidate who received more votes ever. Boric became known in the country in 2011 as a student leader in protests against private education and was elected deputy for two mandates. He won with 55% of preferences by beating the leader of the extreme right José Antonio Kast. Different women have played a fundamental role in the new president campaign. Among these a fundamental role he had his doctor Izkia Siches, who, after the victory of Kast in the first electoral round, resigned as President of the ‘Colegio Médico de Chile’, the Association of Country Surgers, which played a central role during the pandemic, to become the manager of the Boric campaign. Just elected president, Boric's first statement was "My commitment as president will take care of democracy”. Boric focuses on being a government of breakage and in the program are contained important economic and social reforms (health, education and pensions) aimed at changing the neoliberal model created with Pinochet dictatorship. The struggle is still ongoing despite the results of the political elections suggest great changes and despite the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The country that was one of the main powers of the continent finds itself in a deep crisis with uncertain prospects for the future of its inhabitants. |