Indigenous Representation: How Recognition, Reciprocity, and Reserved Seats Shaped the Constitutional Convention

Abstract

Abstract When the Constitutional Convention began rewriting Chile’s constitution in 2021, 17 of the 155 assembly seats were reserved for Indigenous representatives. This unprecedented achievement, though a compromise, was the result of decades of ongoing struggle for Indigenous recognition and representation as well as intensified organizing during, and after, the 2019 estallido. This chapter relays how the agreement took shape, noting key debates and exchanges in the formation of this landmark in Chilean politics, highlighting the influence of persistent anti-Indigenous sentiment across Chile, and placing the move for Indigenous representation and visibility in constitutional politics within the context of parallel struggles across Latin America.

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