Chile 2021: Entre un intenso calendario electoral y la acusación constitucional en contra de Sebastián Piñera

Abstract

In 2021, Chile witnessed the continuation of several political and social processes inherited from previous years, among them the fight against the COVID-19 and the constitution-making procedure. In this article, we analyze two key aspects of the Sebastián Piñera’s last year in office: the intense electoral calendar and the impeachment proceeding initiated against him during 2021’s second half. On the one hand, the results of several different elections confirm the weakening of the center-right and its traditional parties, a process that began in the 2019 “estallido social” (social outburst) and how President Sebastián Piñera handled it. On the other hand, we examine in detail the impeachment proceedings against the chief executive and leader of the center-right coalition, paying close attention to the sponsors’ potential motivations and its impact on Chile’s presidential stability.

Alejandro Olivares

Associate Professor

Associate Professor in the Government School and Public Administration at the Universidad Mayor, Chile. Adjuntct Researcher in Training Data Lab, Chile.