Video On Demand

Chile's Constitutional Reform: What's Next?

August 18, 2021 • 2:30 – 4:00 pm EDT

Since its return to democracy in 1990, Chile is one of the great success stories of Latin America in the political, economic, and social sphere. Over the past three decades, economic growth averaged 4.2 percent per year and poverty levels were slashed to single digits.

In October 2019, however, Chile was taken by surprise by significant social unrest and mass protests. As a response, the country has embarked on a rewrite of its 1980 constitution in hopes to both fix underlying inequities and to get rid of the legacy of Augusto Pinochet. However, there is some concern that the constitutional reform process may change the economic fundamentals and political landscape that has allowed much of the economic progress Chile has made over the past three decades. This event will seek to provide greater understanding of the constitutional reform process and discuss what could be the consequences of the proposed reforms.

This event was made possible through general funding to CSIS.

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Daniel F. Runde
Senior Vice President; William A. Schreyer Chair; Director, Project on Prosperity and Development

Dr. Javier Couso Salas

Professor of Public Law at Diego Portales University