Chile has lessons for Kenya in terms of democracy and economic growth

Chilean president Michelle Bachelet. There is perhaps no better poster child for the “democracy dividend” than Chile PHOTO| MARTIN BERNETTI  AFP

In Summary

• Chile is also regarded as the least corrupt country in Latin America, despite the heritage of corruption that comes with closed and authoritarian regimes.
• Most importantly, a new law making some of the reforms demanded by the students was recently passed and signed into law by President Michelle Bachelet.
• There are many lessons to learn from Chile. But that demands that our leaders focus on the majority poor and their needs, and enhance a culture of criticism and openness.

There is perhaps no better poster child for the “democracy dividend” than Chile, from where I write this.

After 17 years of Augusto Pinochet’s brutal dictatorship — staunchly supported by the US and UK — Chile reverted to democracy in 1990. Since then, it has been upwards for freedoms and development.

A long and narrow multi-ethnic country, Chile has a long coastline, natural forests in the south, a desert in the north rich in copper and other minerals, and fantastic wine growing lands. A long dormant volcano in the South became active a few days before I got to Santiago, more than 1,000 miles away, but the volcanic ash could be seen and felt.

Chile has had a volatile history, with coups and counter coups. In 1970, socialist leader Salvador Allende was elected in a close election. But he was soon overthrown by Pinochet in a western backed military coup at the height of the Cold War in 1972.

Since independence in 1818, Chile has been gripped by deep divisions between the forces of laissez faire capitalism and oligarchy, and leftists who favour social protections and safety nets for the majority.

These divisions are exacerbated by the fact that Chile, tragically, boasts one of the biggest disparities between the rich and poor in the world.

With the left winning democratic elections in 1990, a series of social programmes for the poor and majority were implemented. Free education, free health care and social safety nets for the poor were instituted.

At the same time there was renewed focus on foreign and domestic investment, as well as foreigners to move to Chile. Today Chile is one of the easiest countries to get a work permit — much like Singapore and Rwanda — and is open to foreigners, unlike South Africa, Kenya and UK.

The end result is that Chile is now the wealthiest country in Latin America per capita. It is also regarded as the most stable.

In 1990, about 40% of the population was living under the poverty line. Today it is only 14% or 7% if we use the 1990 base figures! That is a remarkable achievement!

And it has been done by having an open approach — in matters civil, political and economic — as opposed to centralised rule that discourages dissent and uses strong arm tactics to instil silence and fear in society.

LEAST CORRUPT

Chile is also regarded as the least corrupt country in Latin America, despite the heritage of corruption that comes with closed and authoritarian regimes. Somehow, since 1990, Chilean leaders have systematically worked to generate a new value system to counter the old one left behind by Pinochet. This is something that Kenya needs to learn.

While economic development — and not just economic growth — has increased, Chileans have retained a healthy and robust approach to mass action as a crucial and indispensable tool of collective expression.

In 2011, students from across the country began a series of protests demanding reforms to the education system, to make secondary and university education more affordable and accessible to the poor and lower middle classes.

Specifically, students demanded an end to for-profit universities that had mushroomed around the country to meet the massive demand for education which many see as the primary way out of poverty and desperation. These protests went on for months, and led to the removal of the then Minister for Education among other things.

Most importantly, a new law making some of the reforms demanded by the students was recently passed and signed into law by President Michelle Bachelet.

Incidentally President Bachelet is serving her second term of office (after being elected first in 2006 to 2010), and Chile made history when the two leading candidates in the recent elections in 2014 were both women. For a Catholic country, once known for its conservatism and machismo culture, this achievement must not be underrated.

There are many lessons to learn from Chile. But that demands that our leaders focus on the majority poor and their needs, and enhance a culture of criticism and openness.

mkiai2000@yahoo.com