THE MARKETING DEPARTMENT OF THE CONCERTACION IS SELLING A CHILE OF FICTION
Luokka: Tomas HirschThe start of Tomás’ tour of Europe has begun as the Concertacion[1] has sold an image of the country, selling the idea that Chile is governed by the left and that the present government of Michelle Bachelet is the continuation of the government of Salvador Allende.
For the ex-presidential candidate of Juntos Podemos, while passing through the Italian city of Modena, “the Marketing Department of the Concertacion has worked perfectly. Given that there is a belief that Chile is governed by the left and more than that, that now Michelle Bachelet has won, there is the conviction that the Left and Socialism has been installed to give continuity to that which Allende’s struggled for.”
This image of a progressive country, that Chile has, hides a tremendous ignorance about the “kindnesses” of the neoliberal economic model imposed during the time of the dictatorship and which the Concertacion has deepened.
“They have covered up the reality of the more than 80% of Chileans that suffer the supposed successes of the neoliberal model and the economic boom of Chile that has marginalised the people from the economic development of the country.
The Concertacion governments, the multi-nationals and big powers that are behind this government are those who have dedicated themselves to promote an idyllic image of Chile, of course I’m referring to the multi-nationals and the finance sector that are interested in projecting the success of the model to be able to export neoliberalism to the rest of the world”, stressed the Humanist leader.
Tomás Hirsch emphasised that “no one knows here that Chile has privatised its health-care and education, that the roads are private and that tax is not paid for the copper. No one speaks here of the water problems in the communities of the indigenous people, no one has told the people here that the land of the Mapuche people has been stolen, no one has told them that the regions are tremendously deprived. No one has explained that the social security system in Chile is a disaster and that pensions are pathetic”.
This is why, for the ex-presidential candidate, this tour is so important because “to present to the public, politicians and intellectuals the reality of a Chile that is not usually presented has been tremendously worthwhile”, he concluded.
[1] The Concertacion is the ruling “Centre-Left” coalition in the Chilean Government.