Carlos Huneeus and Octavio Avendaño , eds., El sistema político de Chile. Santiago: LOM, 2018. Tables, figures, bibliography, 444 pp.

Abstract

Chile is facing an unprecedented crisis with the social explosion of late 2019, one of the highest rates of COVID-19 infections in the world, and an upcoming constitutional referendum that has the potential to significantly rewrite Chile’s constitutional map in existential ways. Claudia Heiss and Esteban Szmulewicz provide a comprehensive analysis of Chile’s constitutional history as the country heads into a period of potential reform. Fundamentally, the authors argue, the document failed because it did not meet the basics of what constitutions are supposed to do, which is to establish a pact between members of society, to limit majorities and protect minorities, and to rein in the various powers of the state. Avendano and Rodrigo Cuevas focus their chapter on the large umbrella organizations that bring together business interests—the CPC (Confederacion de la Produccion y el Comercio) and unionized workers—the CUT (Central Unitaria de Trabajadores).