Explaining Chile’s U-Turn

Chile’s politics have been turned upside down once again, as an election last Sunday gave the political right almost full control over the writing of a new Constitution. A little more than a year ago, the country seemed to be undergoing a progressive transformation, after waves of protests, the arrival of a left-wing, young president, Gabriel Boric, and plans for what was supposed to be an expansive new Constitution. In this episode, political scientist Patricio Navia explains why the electorate’s mood seems to have shifted and what these developments mean for the political and economic future of Chile. Navia is a professor at both New York University and at Universidad Diego Portales, and a member of Americas Quarterly’s editorial board.