Chilean convention: forging a democracy
In an interview with Conectas, Cynthia Imaña, director of the collective, Memorarte: Arpilleras Urbanas, assessed the challenges and expectations in drawing up the new Constitution
A historiadora e professora chilena Cynthia Imaña é diretora do coletivo Memorarte: Arpilleras Urbana (foto: acervo pessoal/divulgação)
A new chapter in the history of Chile is currently being written. Following the intense demonstrations that broke out across the country in 2019, the general public´s dissatisfaction with the economic and social model of the 1980 Constitution, composed during the Pinochet dictatorship, became blatantly clear.
The most emblematic outcome of this movement was the convening of elections to form a Constitutional Convention with gender parity and seats for representatives of the indigenous people. Under the presidency of a Mapuche woman, the Constitutional Convention is responsible for drafting a new national agreement that meets the wishes of those who took to the streets two years ago, calling for a state with social well-being and more equality.
In order to analyse these events, Conectas talked to the Chilean historian and professor, Cynthia Imaña. She is a director of the collective, Memorarte: Arpilleras Urbanas, that uses embroidery techniques on remnants of coloured fabric to produce “arpilleras” – artistic pieces that were used by women´s collectives to condemn violence and oppression during the Chilean dictatorship.
In the interview, Imaña highlights the importance of the collective struggle of the people in seeking political change, as well as the role of women in the process that led to the new Constitutional Convention. “If spaces open up for women in the public arena, agreements and solutions for collective conflicts will happen more easily”, she commented.
Read the full interview here:
Conectas – How would you assess the result of the election for the Chilean Constitutional Convention?
Cynthia Imaña – The election of the 155 parliamentarians who will draw up the new Chilean Constitution is an honest reflection of the wishes of my compatriots for a better, more dignified, supportive and egalitarian country. Most of the people elected come from the social movements that mobilised during the protests of October 2019. The so-called “List of the People”, made up of independent inhabitants and citizens, who are not affiliated with any political party, was what contributed to a high number of parliamentarians and environmental regional representatives of our indigenous people. However, I think the most important result of this election is equality [gender]. For the first time in history, a constitution has been written by an equal number of men and women. This right was won on the streets by the Chilean feminist movement. Basically, the result of the constitutional election guarantees it will be written by a group of people who interact on equal terms, without the influence of the ruling elite or political parties. They will work for the common good of the country.
Conectas – What does the approval of a new constitution mean for modern day Chile?
Cynthia Imaña – It means a break with that which has continuously dominated us for more than 30 years after the 1980 Constitution, made during the dictatorship (the current Chilean constitution only came into full effect in 1990). Despite the return to democracy in 1990, the dictatorship established a neoliberal model that hinders social mobility, upholds the privileges of the ruling class and stokes inequality. All public services were privatised and are managed by private companies, without consideration for the social objective they should fulfil. This unfair system reached crisis point in 2019. The people took to the streets demanding dignity, equality and a profound change in Chilean society. One of the solutions was a new accord, changing the rules that control us as a country. Creating a new constitution has channelled many of the demands that had emerged with the social unrest, as it will form an ethical legal basis for carrying out the changes the country needs, in order to move towards a more egalitarian society.
Conectas – What are the expectations and challenges of the new constitution?
Cynthia Imaña – Much of the hope for a better country is being placed on the new constitution. The main expectations are to bring about profound changes in the role of the state (that must guarantee the well-being of the entire population), meet people´s basic needs and guarantee equal opportunities for a fairer society. Expectations are also connected to greater respect for the environment and recognition and appreciation of our native people and their cultures. The challenge of this process is in reaching agreements between the different groups represented in the Constitutional Convention, as social differences have left the Chilean population polarised into rigid positions. It is also important to ensure that the minorities represented in the Convention do not feel excluded from significant agreements and that their opinions and ideas are taken into consideration. Another important challenge is that the process should not generate great expectations among the people who may believe that the new constitution will solve all the problems faced in society. This is an important step, but it is not a panacea that will turn us into a perfect, model country. This has to be made clear right from the start of the Convention, otherwise it will cause a lot of frustration and disappointment.
Conectas – The president of the Constitutional Convention is a Mapuche woman. What is the importance of this fact and what are you hoping for from her work?
Cynthia Imaña – Throughout Chilean history, the indigenous people have been made invisible by the state and their culture has not been given due merit. However, the long fight and resistance of the Mapuche people against the neoliberal system, namely in their fight to get back land, their defence of the environment and pride in their culture became symbols of resistance during the protests [in 2019]. During the mass protest marches that took place across the country, the Mapuche flag was always hoisted higher than party symbols. Many monuments that represent colonialism were demolished as symbols of oppression and colonisation. This is why Elisa Loncón´s election as president of the Constitutional Convention is the culmination of a process that arose from the deep feelings of the oppressed who identified with the historic subjugation of our indigenous people. Likewise, it is important that she is not only Mapuche but also a woman. Her election is also the consequence of the claim for women´s rights, subsequent to the Feminist Wave that emerged in Chile in 2018. The Chilean feminist movement contributed significantly to the work of the social movements that made the constitutional process possible. This is the first in the world with gender parity. This parity (between men and women) was won on the streets following huge protests by women who were claiming their rights and fighting the patriarchy. I have great confidence in the work of the president of the Constitutional Convention, because she is a woman who makes space for dialogue and promotes pluralism in all the areas being discussed.
Conectas – What does the Chilean example teach other Latin American countries about the world we live in today?
Cynthia Imaña – The Chilean example has shown the rest of the Latin American region the importance of the organisation of the people. Following the 2019 protests a number of people´s conventions emerged, throughout Chile, to discuss the changes we want to bring about for a fairer more egalitarian country. In these conventions, the general public agreed that the first step was to change the contract we had with the state, that maintained a constitution that was a legacy of the dictatorship and that was causing society to be fragmented by inequality and to be oppressed by a ruling elite focused on its own privileges. The people´s anger and despair led them to seek a collective solution and one of the first steps towards this was to change the rules of the game. Colloquially speaking, I could say that the Chilean example illustrates that no person is an island. It is only with an organised, multi-faceted civil society that we can overcome our problems. The well-being of all is reached collectively and with collaboration. I would also like to stress the role of women (in this process) as powerful drivers of change, in their search for their own well-being and that of their families. Let this be an example to Latin America – when women organise themselves to demand equal rights, to improve the quality of life of their families, to fight against gender violence, to improve the environment in which they live, there will always be positive transformation. If spaces open up for women in the public arena, agreements and solutions for collective conflicts will happen more easily. Finally, as a country, we have proved that there is still hope for our people.
