Chile - 81.08
32
A lot has changed since Pinochet Helicopter Rides last flew
Chile’s 2021 was defined by two things. The waning presidency of socially inept but cunning Sebastian Piñera and the election of his successor, Gabriel Boric. In the twilight of his presidency, Piñera oversaw the country’s constitution rewrite, which threw out a Pinochet-era constitution in favor of one written by democratically elected officials. As his centrist coalition fractured, Piñera ushered in a process to legalize same-sex marriage in the country. This coalition, a fragile alliance from the start, forced a billionaire president hailing from a right-wing party to become a reformer in the face of his government collapsing. President Piñera was implicated in the Pandora Papers regarding the sale of a mining corporation, and an impeachment process began against the lame-duck president that would ultimately fail. This exposé would be the nail in the coffin for centrism in the 2021 Chilean general election, as the two frontrunners in the election would become self-described socialist Gabriel Boric and a Trump-like figure, self-proclaimed Pinochet admirer and Nazi’s son José Antonio Kast. Boric would ultimately win, promising leftist reform in one of the most politically divided and economically developed nations in Latin America.
Human Rights - 70
Chile has functionally abolished the death penalty, carrying out its last execution in 1995. Police brutality is a systemic issue, especially among Chilean riot police. Two lawsuits are currently pending against Chilean security forces for excessive use of force during nationwide protests in 2019 and 2020. In several instances, police shot seemingly random people without warning or reason, but most offending officers were prosecuted. In one instance, riot police threw a flashbang directly at a crowd of protestors, causing permanent vision damage to two of them. As of the year’s end, parliament was working on legislation to more strictly regulate police use of force. The government regularly infringes on native rights, repeatedly allowing mining corporations to use native land without the permission of native residents. Mapuche resistance movements have been brutally suppressed. Homosexuality is legal but the age of consent is not equalized. Chile legalized same-sex marriage on December 7, 2021. Any single person can adopt but Chile has no joint same-sex adoption. Abortion is legal to save the woman’s life as well as in cases of rape, incest, and fetal impairment.
Democracy - 96
The president is directly elected. The president is not allowed to serve two consecutive terms but can serve an infinite number of nonconsecutive terms. Parliament is directly elected. Chile is currently in the process of rewriting its constitution, but both current and proposed electoral laws are free and fair. Chile has a vibrant multi-party system, with no twelve parties holding seats in parliament as well as some independent candidates. Districting favors white and mestizo Chileans rather than Mapuche Chileans.
Freedom - 84
The government filed over 1000 lawsuits against people for “illegal assembly” but almost all were rejected by the courts. Chile has unenforced laws banning “defamation of state institutions.” Several peaceful protests in recent years have been shut down with excessive force, and the government is reforming police use of force laws in response. Drug possession and use in private settings were decriminalized in 2020. The distribution and manufacture of drugs remain illegal. Chile allows ownership of two firearms without a permit, but a collector or dealer permit is required for more than two. Semi-automatic rifles and handguns are legal in Chile.
Economy - 75
Health - 83
Chile has a life expectancy of 80 years and an infant mortality rate of 0.6%. 34.4% of Chileans are obese and 3.4% are malnourished. Chile’s universal healthcare system is managed through social security, meaning that some 5% of the population is not covered. Most wealthy Chileans choose to pay for private healthcare. 98.64% of Chileans have access to clean, running water. Some 45% of adult Chileans smoke regularly.
Corruption - 80
Contracts are sometimes difficult to obtain without bribery, but Chile has very little problem with petty corruption. However, President Pinera was exposed in the Pandora Papers for holding money in offshore accounts, as well as accepted bribes in a case involving a controversial mining corporation. An impeachment process was started but ultimately failed.
Competency - 86
The government is failing to provide for and protect the Mapuche. Chile also has a number of unenforced laws on the books. The government is also failing to provide for those not covered by social security. Chile’s government lacks adequate corruption lockouts to prevent high-scale cases of bribery.
Future - 91
Chile’s constitution rewrite looks promising, repealing a number of Pinochet-era policies. Despite a change in leadership the rewrite has continued to progress. The Boric administration has promised a number of critical reforms, but Boric has not been sworn in yet to implement them. Chile’s economy has been growing rapidly, largely as a result of large amounts of foreign investment, including large factories from Porsche and Sinovac. Despite taking a major economic hit due to COVID, the Chilean economy will likely recover quickly.
Actions Abroad - 77
Chile has close relations with China, as Chilean special forces are trained by China and a major Sinovac factory is planned in Chile. Chile has a number of territorial disputes with its neighbors Argentina and Bolivia. Despite maintaining relatively close relations, Chile claims five square kilometers of unpopulated ice fields under the de facto control of Argentina. Chile has a rocky and unfriendly relationship with Bolivia, largely as a result of Bolivian belligerence. Bolivia claims a corridor to the Pacific under the de facto control of Chile, and to appease them, Chile allows Bolivia access to a Chilean Naval Base so they can maintain the largest navy of any landlocked country.
0.3% of Chileans live under the international poverty line and 8.6% live below the national poverty line. 7.29% of Chileans are unemployed. Chile has some of the highest unemployment in the world, brought about by Spanish rule and only worsened by Pinochet’s fear of anything remotely socialist, including reasonable economic policy. The minimum wage in Chile is $440 per month. Chile manages a universal healthcare system through social security, which means that because some 5% of the population is not registered for social security they cannot access universal healthcare. Most wealthy Chileans choose to pay for private healthcare. Chile’s economy shrunk 5.8% in 2020 and grew 4.1% in 2019.