Chile’s riots the dance of the dispossessed

Description

Chile is one of the most industrially advanced economies in the Latin American region, but recent violent protests illustrate the social cost of a development model that has brought wealth to the country, but not prosperity to all its citizens.

Chile illustrates the paradox of redistribution in the 21st century: though there have been major improvements in life expectancy, access to health and education, and significant poverty reduction, such gains are highly uneven. There are significant pockets of poverty even in middle- and high-income countries. We have witnessed a deepening of inequality between and in countries, as many people struggle to secure jobs and afford the bright future that linear narratives of development promise. These trends run alongside increased wealth, technological innovation and ever more integrated global production.