Chileans’ rejection of two constitutional proposals in 16 months “have signaled a desire for moderation among voters,” according to Reuters. Polls show Chileans are more concerned about security and a struggling economy rather than drafting a new constitution. The results of Sunday’s vote leave the 2025 presidential race uncertain, as voters have rejected both texts espoused by the left and the right. (See yesterday’s post.)
“The rejection of a constitutional draft deemed too far to the right in 2023 and too far to the left in 2022 points to an electorate that is more moderate than the two elected constituent bodies,” writes Claudia Heiss in Americas Quarterly. “However, this moderation has not translated into support for centrist parties in recent elections. A “negative” vote, more prone to express discontent than to support a political program, may have been at play in this referendum. This poses a major challenge to political parties and representatives.”
Beyond Sunday’s vote, the country is “in a sour mood,” writes Cynthia Arnsen in Global Americans. “Four years after the largest mobilizations since Chile’s 1990 return to democracy, more than half of Chileans say that inequality is worse than it was before the Estallido, and more than two-thirds believe that poverty and the economy are worse than in 2019. The sense of stagnation is palpable …” (See yesterday’s post.)
Most Chileans “would prefer politicians to reach agreements, even if they have to concede, a feeling that has only grown over time. Like in the previous constitutional process, several polls showed that people disagreed with how the second one was handled and its results. When the country sought consensus, both elected constitutional bodies—with different performative approaches—displayed polarized positions and uncompromising politicians. This was not due to how each topic was voted on, but because there was no common ground,” writes Isabel Aninat in Americas Quarterly.
“Chile’s aborted attempt to rewrite its constitution is a cautionary tale for all of those seeking a radical break—whether from the right or from the left—with the “end-of-history” consensus known as neoliberalism,” argue Juan David Rojas and Geoff Shullenberger in Compact.
Guatemala
Guatemala’s Constitutional Court ordered Congress to guarantee Bernardo Arévalo’s January inauguration, though last week’s decision does not shield the president-elect from a last-minute effort to derail his administration. “What happens afterwards will be a bellwether for Latin America, consequential not just for Guatemala, but for the entire region. If Arévalo is blocked from governing or quickly ousted, it will be an ominous sign,” writes Will Freeman in the Guardian. (See yesterday’s post.)
Colombia
Colombia’s ELN guerrillas have agreed to stop using kidnapping as a fund-raising tactic, if the current cease-fire with the government is extended, reports the Associated Press. The announcement came at the end of a session of talks with the Colombian government, held in Mexico City.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s promise to transition the country’s energy will be complicated by its heavy economic dependence on hydrocarbons, illustrated by the legacy of its massive refinery in Barrancabermeja, reports Jacobin.
Migration
“Enabled by social media and Colombian organized crime, more than 506,000 migrants — nearly two-thirds Venezuelans — had crossed the Darien jungle by mid-December, double the 248,000 who set a record the previous year. Before last year, the record was barely 30,000 in 2016,” reports the Associated Press.
Brazil
Brazilian first lady Rosangela 'Janja' Lula da Silva said she will sue the social media platform X after having her account hacked last week, reports Reuters.
Meat processing giant JBS SA and three other slaughterhouses are facing lawsuits for their alleged direct purchase of cattle raised illegally in a protected area in the Brazilian Amazon, reports the Associated Press.
Argentina
“The fact that many people apparently believed that dollarization would solve Argentina’s problems was just the latest example of the enduring power of magical monetary thinking,” writes Paul Krugman in the New York Times.
In the midst of crisis, Argentina’s (many) psychologists report (anecdotally) that many “sessions now start with conversations about politics, rising prices and how hard it is to make ends meet,” reports Al Jazeera.
Regional
A drought-induced fall in Panama Canal movement could affect illicit drug trafficking networks, reports InSight Crime. “If this situation continues, drug traffickers may rethink routes and delivery methods for their merchandise.”
Film
The upcoming Society of the Snow by Spanish director JA Bayona retells the story of the Uruguayan flight that crashed in the Andes in 1972, a tale that has retained lurid fascination, reports the Guardian.