The Lesson from Chile: Dismiss Voters at Your Own Peril
The Lesson from Chile: Dismiss Voters at Your Own Peril
Demands for broad constitutional change are not new – and politicians should have listened.
SANTIAGO – The world may have been taken by surprise by the social and political crisis that began in Chile on Oct. 18. But the demand for a new social contract at the center of the protests is nothing new.
In the run-up to Chile’s 2013 presidential election, a campaign dubbed “Mark Your Vote,” which encouraged Chileans to scribble their ballots with the letters “AC” (for constitutional assembly), had already sent a clear message. In the first round of that election almost 8% of votes nationwide were marked AC, as were over 10% in the runoff round that elected Michelle Bachelet. In...
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