Chile 2000 : las sombras del mañana

Authors

  • Norbert Lechner

Abstract

What's hidden behind the triumphant discourse about the Chilean process explains the complex phenomenon of citizen disaffection in the country. In this paper, it is proposed that fear of chaos and instability affects democracy, phenomena that, when not produced, become a blind triumphalism in the face of the future. Added to this is that in Chile the challenges implied by the great changes experienced have not been dealt with reflectively. It is hypothesized that the negative perception of politics, together with the absence of alternatives, produces an unexpressed discomfort. This citizen disaffection reflects the void produced by the disappearance of the State and politics as instances to solve problems and, even worse, that the market has replaced them, with the consequent deterioration of the public and collective sphere.

Keywords:

Chile, Political Processes, Democracy, Citizen Disaffection, Market Economy

Author Biography

Norbert Lechner

Cientista social. Ex-director de la Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, FLACSO-Chile. Actualmente se desempeña como profesor-investigador de FLACSO México.