About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

1 [1] (October 15, 2024)

handle is hein.crs/goveqzj0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service informing th ieg~ sative debate since 1914 Chile: An Overview Updated October 15, 2024 Chile, located along the Pacific coast of South America, traditionally has been one of the United States' closest partners in Latin America. During the 118th Congress, the Senate consented to a tax treaty with Chile and some Members have assessed options for strengthening commercial and security ties while addressing emerging opportunities and challenges in bilateral relations. Po tca and Economc Env,ronment Chile's democratic tradition dates to the 19th century but the country experienced 17 years of authoritarian rule after General Augusto Pinochet led a 1973 military coup that deposed the democratically elected socialist government of President Salvador Allende (1970-1973). More than 3,200 people were killed or disappeared, and some 37,000 people were imprisoned and/or tortured during the Pinochet dictatorship. Chile restored democratic governance in 1990, after nearly 56% of Chileans voted against continuing the Pinochet regime in a 1988 plebiscite. Center-left and center-right coalitions dominated Chilean politics for three decades following the transition. Center- left coalitions held the presidency and majorities in Chile's bicameral congress for most of that period, but SebastiAn Pifiera led his center-right coalition to power for two nonconsecutive presidential terms (2010-2014, 2018-2022). Both coalitions prioritized political stability and economic growth, eschewing ambitious structural reforms in favor of consensus-based politics, market-oriented economic policies, and incremental social change. Living standards improved significantly between 1990 and 2022, with real GDP per capita growing by an average of 4.7% per year and the poverty rate falling from 68.5% to 6.5%. Nevertheless, most Latinobar6metro polls since the mid- 1990s have shown a majority of Chileans to be dissatisfied with how democracy works in Chile. Chile has one of the highest levels of income inequality in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, and some Chileans express frustration with other disparities in Chilean society. Over the past 15 years, Chileans repeatedly have registered their discontent with the status quo through electoral swings and mass protests. Constitutional Reform Proces In late 2019, Chile's political leadership agreed to a process to potentially replace the country's 1980 constitution. The agreement was part of a broader effort to restore social peace after a month of sometimes violent protests against a transit fare increase and other perceived government failures. Chile's democratic governments have amended the constitution extensively over the past 34 years but some Chileans view the Pinochet-era document as illegitimate and an impediment to a more inclusive democracy. Although 78% of Chilean voters voted in favor of replacing the constitution in October 2020, 62% of voters rejected a first draft in September 2022 and 56% rejected a second draft in December 2023. Many Chileans apparently perceived the first draft, written by a left-of-center convention, as too radical, and the second draft, finalized by a right-of-center council, as too conservative. Consequently, Chile's 1980 constitution remains in place. Figure I. Chile at a Glance Capital: Santiago Population: 20.1 million (2024 est.) Life Expectancy: 81.6 years (2024 estj) Gross Domestic Product/GDP per Capita: $335.7 billion/516,816 (2023 est.) Top exports: copper and copper ores, lithium, CHILE fish, fr it n uts (2023 ') Top Trade Partners: China (31%), United States (18%), European Union (11%), Brazil (7%), Japan (5%) (2023) Sources: CRS Graphics; Chile's Instituto Nacional de Estadisticas; International Monetary Fund; and Trade Data Monitor. Boric Administration President Gabriel Boric was inaugurated to a four-year term in March 2022, a decade after rising to prominence as a leader of Chile's student movement. Leading a left-wing coalition, he defeated right-wing populist Jos6 Antonio Kast with 56% of the vote in a December 2021 runoff election. Boric came to office pledging to address environmental concerns and usher in a new era of economic and social inclusion by strengthening the public education and health care systems, replacing the privatized pension system, and expanding the rights of historically marginalized groups. Boric has struggled to enact his agenda, however, and his approval rating has hovered around his first-round vote share (26%) for most of his term, according to the Centro de Estudios Pdiblicos. Boric had hoped to advance many of his proposals through the constitutional reform process that ultimately failed. Other proposals have stalled in the Chilean congress, where Boric must negotiate with centrist and opposition legislators to pass legislation. Although the congress has enacted measures to increase mining royalties, reduce tax evasion, raise the minimum wage, and reduce the work week from 45 to 40 hours, it rejected a revenue- raising tax reform intended to fund much of Boric's agenda. Boric also is contending with a resurgent political right, which has capitalized on widespread public concern over rising crime and immigration to boost its support. Boric's political challenges have been compounded by difficult economic circumstances. GDP growth slowed from 11.3% in 2021 to 2.1% in 2022 and 0.2% in 2023, amid the government's withdrawal of pandemic-era stimulus measures, rising inflation, and domestic and geopolitical uncertainty. Chile's finance ministry forecasts

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most