The irruption of Afro-descendants in diversity politics: the case of Arica in northern Chile

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper analyses the irruption of Afro-descendants in the sphere of local and national public policies as aresult of their demand for political recognition. Starting in 2000, an Afro-descendant movement developed, positioning itself locally and nationally and obtaining political recognition in 2019 under Law N° 21.151. Incorporating a‘new diversity’ in the design and implementation of public policies as distinct from the indigenous policies that had been implemented for more than 25 years. The paper analyses different levels of state action, relations with other diversities in the implementation of targeted policies (particularly indigenous policies) and the process of Afro-descendant recognition itself. This case shows the difficulties in broadening the social and state vision of cultural diversity and how these are reflected in disputes about the legitimacy of being the ‘original’ peoples as well as for spaces of power and state resources.