Chile: 50 years after Augusto Pinochet

On 11 September 1973, a military coup brought Augusto Pinochet to power in Chile. Now, almost 30 years after his dictatorship ended, its neoliberal constitution - and the privatization that resulted from it - is coming under fire.

Today, the legacy of Chile’s dictatorship continues to shape peoples‘ lives. Augusto Pinochet’s 1980 constitution relied on a completely free market to regulate the economy. But the privatization of markets in Chile has benefited the few and left many Chileans struggling. For example: in Chile, education is not free. The public health care system is underfunded and many cannot afford private insurance. Elderly people barely survive on meagre pension payouts. Even drinking water is private property.
In 2019, masses of people took to the streets in Chile to protest the country’s constitution. A year later, more than 75% of voters approved changing it in a referendum. This documentary accompanies Chileans who worked on this new constitution. They include a young woman for whom social justice and the right to abortion without punishment are central; a conservative who thinks the whole process is wrong; and indigenous people who hope that a new constitution will make their concerns heard.
In 2022, the first draft was rejected in a new referendum. But the process continues -- as does the struggle for a better future for Chile.