Cabildo -making in Santiago, Chile ; a first step towards constitutional change? Master Thesis Of Master International Development Studies Sociology of Development and Change group Thesis Disaster Studies SDC-80736 For Wageningen University Title: Cabildo-making in Santiago, Chile; a first step towards constitutional change? Cover photographs: First picture: (Garrido, 2019) Second picture: (Corporación Municipal de Desportes de La Pintana, 2019) Date: September, 2020 By: Lars de Jong Supervisor dr.ir. G (Gemma) van der Haar Sociology of Development Wageningen University and Research Second reader dr. JF (Jeroen) Warner Sociology of Development Wageningen University and Research ii Abstract Since October 2019, Chileans have been demonstrating due to many reasons. Mainly, the 1980 Constitution and neoliberalism, both inherited from Chile’s dictatorship by Pinochet, are under attack. Besides, many Chileans have come to distrust the conventional political system and its politicians and have withdrawn from political participation, like voting. The discontent of the people turned into specific demands when the protestors started to organise themselves in so-called cabildos. In these cabildos, citizens had the opportunity to share their feelings and listen to one another, especially regarding the proposition for a new constitution. In the cabildos, members discuss their demands concerning the Chilean economic and political system. This research aims to explore the desires, demands and perceptions of the participants of these cabildos that operate in Santiago, Chile. Furthermore, it takes into account how the process of cabildo-making has transformed due to the entrance of the corona pandemic. Finally, the participants perceive the cabildos as a form of repoliticization. This research tests the cabildos as a political tool for recapturing civil society again in the political system. In studying the Chilean mobilisation, the theory of contentious politics provided by Tilly and Tarrow (2015) is centred. The data is gathered through a literature review, semi-structured virtual interviews, and a survey. This research has shown that the majority of the participants take the plebiscite for a new constitution as a starting point for further economic and political (systemic) change. Due to the corona crisis, the cabildos have been highly adaptive to emerging needs among civil society. These initiatives aimed to reinforce their position within the community. They function as a replacement of or addition to social services provided by the state. In the discussion comes forward that incorporating cabildos into the conventional political system could have repercussions for its legitimacy and popular support. Keywords: Contentious Politics, Collective Action, Mobilization, Representative Democracy, Santiago Cabildos, Constitutional Change iii Resumen Desde octubre de 2019, los chilenos se han manifestado por muchas razones. Principalmente la Constitución de 1980 y el neoliberalismo, ambos heredados de la dictadura de Augusto Pinochet, están bajo un constante ataque, lo que ha llevado a que muchos chilenos desconfíen del sistema político convencional y también de sus políticos, esto se ha visto reflejado en que se han retirado de la participación política, como el votar. El descontento de la gente se transformó en demandas concretas cuando los manifestantes comenzaron a organizarse en los llamados cabildos. En estos cabildos, los ciudadanos tuvieron la oportunidad de compartir sus sentimientos y escucharse, especialmente en lo que respecta a la propuesta de una nueva constitución. En los cabildos, los miembros discuten sus demandas sobre el sistema económico y político chileno. Esta investigación tiene como objetivo explorar los deseos, demandas y percepciones de los participantes de estos cabildos que operan en Santiago de Chile. Además, se tiene en cuenta cómo se ha transformado el proceso de cabildo con la entrada de la pandemia del Coronavirus. Finalmente, los participantes perciben a los cabildos como una forma de repolitización. Esta investigación pone a prueba a los cabildos como herramienta política para reconquistar a la sociedad civil en el sistema político. Al estudiar la movilización chilena, se centra la teoría de la política contenciosa provista por Tilly y Tarrow (2015). Los datos se recopilan a través de una revisión de la literatura, entrevistas virtuales semiestructuradas y una encuesta. Esta investigación ha demostrado que la mayoría de los participantes toman el plebiscito para una nueva constitución como un punto de partida para un mayor cambio económico y político (sistémico). Debido a la crisis de la pandemia, los cabildos se han adaptado mucho a las necesidades emergentes de la sociedad civil. Estas iniciativas tenían como objetivo reforzar su posición dentro de la comunidad. Funcionan como un reemplazo o una adición a los servicios sociales proporcionados por el estado. En la discusión se adelanta que la incorporación de los cabildos al sistema político convencional podría repercutir en su legitimidad y apoyo popular. Palabras clave: Política contenciosa, Acción Colectiva, Movilización, Democracia Representativa, Santiago Cabildos, Cambio Constitucional. iv Acknowledgement This thesis would never be possible without the support of thesis supervisor dr. Ir. Gemma van der Haar. Thank you for your patience, your willingness to think along and your helpful ideas and feedback. I enjoyed our meetings, and (unfortunately due to the coronavirus) our skype sessions. I definitely would recommend you to any other student. Moreover, I am thankful for the participants of the research for their trust, time, and willingness to share their experiences and stories with me. I am incredibly grateful since the pandemic had drastically changed their lives. In specific, I would like to thank Annelies for her interest in my research and her time to help me to find some participants. Without her, I probably would still be searching for some interviewees. As the thesis sometimes proves to be difficult, I would like to thank Sonja, Kees and Thom for their unconditional love and support. Moreover, Yvonne and Diederik, thank you for always believing in me and the fantastic dinners I enjoyed at your place. Bjorn and Saskia, without you, I would not have laughed so much, so thank you for these pleasant times. Next to family, I am also thankful for my friends. Foremost Niek, we spend much time together writing thesis, and I have enjoyed every moment of it, I wish you the best in the last months ahead of you, you can do this. As well, Nathalie thank you so much for the lovely card I just received while writing this acknowledgement. I will never forget the amount of cappu’s that we drank together. Finally, but not least, thank you so much, my thesis ring. Eelke, Tom and Eva, thank you for the many coffee breaks, the feedback, the shoulders to cry on and of course the hilarious moments we spend together, sometimes with the appropriate amount of beer. v This page is intentionally left blank vi Table of Contents Abstract iii Resumen iv Acknowledgement v Table of Contents vii Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Research background ....................................................................................................................... - 9 - 1.2 Research outline ............................................................................................................................... - 12 - Chapter 2 How people mobilize, contentious politics and democratic alternatives 2.1 Theory of Contentious Politics ................................................................................................... - 13 - 2.2. Democratic Alternatives ............................................................................................................... - 18 - Chapter 3 Methodology 3.1 Data collection .................................................................................................................................. - 21 - 3.1.1 Literature review .............................................................................................................. - 21 - 3.1.2 Interviews ............................................................................................................................ - 22 - 3.1.3 Participant Observation ................................................................................................. - 23 - 3.1.4 Survey .................................................................................................................................... - 23 - 3.1.5 Sample and sampling method ..................................................................................... - 24 - 3.2 Data Analysis ..................................................................................................................................... - 24 - 3.3 Ethics .................................................................................................................................................... - 25 - Chapter 4 Episode of 2019 4.1 Historical timeline of contention and mobilization ........................................................... - 26 - 4.1.1 Pinochet Legacy ................................................................................................................. - 26 - 4.1.2 Return to democracy ....................................................................................................... - 27 - 4.1.3 Autocracy in sheep’s clothing .....................................................................................