A “Left Turn” in Latin America? Problems of Success in Chile

Issue Date October 2006
Volume 17
Issue 4
Page Numbers 65-79
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Chile’s new Socialist president Michelle Bachelet will seek to maintain the country’s socioeconomic progress, but her attempt to cure growing alienation from the traditional parties could create a new set of problems. Chile’s success has owed much to the ability of disciplined parties with roots in society to agree for the sake of governance. The country still faces many challenges, including reducing inequality, renewing the educational system, and strengthening economic competitiveness. Chile’s leaders can best address them by working with the population to overhaul democratic institutions to make them more open, participatory, and responsive.

About the Authors

Arturo Valenzuela

Arturo Valenzuela is professor of government and director of the Center for Latin American Studies at Georgetown University. During the Clinton administration, he was deputy assistant secretary of state for inter-American affairs and later senior director for inter-American affairs at the U.S. National Security Council.

View all work by Arturo Valenzuela

Lucía Dammert

Lucía Dammert is director of the Program of Security and Citizenship at the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO) in Chile.

View all work by Lucía Dammert