The urgent need to reform political systems

If any latin american country had a chance of moving to a new social contract, political renewal and a more productive economy, it was surely Chile. In November 2019, as protests raged in the streets, politicians agreed to a constitutional convention, charged with drawing up a new constitution to replace the existing one, whose origins date back to the Pinochet era (though with later amendments). But the convention tilted more to the left than did public opinion. It is torn between trying to reform Chile and trying to refound it from first principles. And it has conflated a demand for social rights with identity politics. The text will not be finalised until July 4th. A dwindling band of optimists still hopes to see a workable document. But the auguries are not good: the draft has 499 articles. “We are losing an opportunity to have a constitution for a developed country and not for a typical Latin American country,” says Rodrigo Valdés, a former centre-left finance minister.