The Chilean Model Confronting Expectations of Social Justice

Abstract

The Chilean development model by objective parameters is a combination of a developed democracy, a targeted social policy, and an effective, competitive economy. However, the protest movement that began in October 2019, which included both peaceful and violent actions, was directed not only against the center-right government of Sebastian Pinera (2018–2022), but also against the entire system as a whole. This movement demonstrated the disillusionment and dissatisfaction of the broad social strata with the results of political and social development and indicated the beginning of a protracted, intractable crisis.The fundamental reason for the protests was a deep contradiction between economic efficiency and social justice, laid down during the neoliberal modernization of Augusto Pinochet (1973–1990), and not overcome during the 30 years of democratic development, despite a large-scale social policy. The system of ‘elite compromises’, which provided a political basis for the transition from authoritarianism to democracy, also became an object of harsh criticism.The paper shows the specifics of the Chilean model in historical retrospect, identifies contradictions and issues that have triggered a socio-political conflict, particularly the rise of mass social expectations, strengthened by the reforms of the second government of M. Bachelet (2014–2018), and considers the features of the current crisis.