“We, the people of Chile, comprised of diverse nations, freely grant this constitution, agreed to in a participatory and democratic process with parity of representation.” This is the short Preamble of the…
A New Constitution For Chile
Let’s remember a ways back; back before Chileans elected a new congress, and before they elected a new President (35 year old Gabriel Boric), all to take charge on March 11, 2022….
A Generational Refresh in Chile
President-elect Gabriel Boric has presented Chileans with a cabinet that, at least photographically, depicts the change he is proposing for Chile. <image here> Patricio Aylwin Cabinet 1990. Boric’s cabinet is meant to…
Chile; now, where were we?
A couple of days after arriving in Chile, I was stuck standing in line at the VTR office in Santiago, attempting to procure a new mobile phone. To my surprise, a big…
The Plebiscite; Chile’s Go-To Therapy
On Sunday, October 25, 2020, over seven million Chileans participated in a plebiscite that decisively launched a process to rewrite Chile’s Constitution. About 75% of them favored the constitutional rewrite, and to…
The Soul of Chile
I started this article several weeks ago with good intentions to provide the best personal description and interpretation I could of the social explosion that was affecting Chile; I entitled it “The…
June 6, 1970
As I recall, albeit through the haze of an all night bachelor’s outing with several friends, Saturday, June 6, 1970, was a lovely, clear, crisp day. But mostly, it defined the future:…
Eduardo Frei Montalva
In 1982, almost ten years into the military dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet, ex President of Chile Eduardo Frei Montalva died during a series of surgical interventions in the Santa Maria Clinic…
“Por la Razon, o la Fuerza”
This motto on Chile’s national emblem, adopted in 1834, would suggest that the “Chilean way” is to try to reason through a conflict, and only as a last resort use force to…
Transition in Chile
Three weeks of massive civil protests, some peaceful, others violent, have left parts of Chile, especially its capital city Santiago, looking like a war zone. Chileans too often have faced costly and…