Populism as illiberal democracy: A hypothesis regarding the Chilean social uprising

Abstract

A number of interpretations have been put forward regarding the social uprising that occurred in Chile in late 2019. This article situates the events within the global climate of populism, a phenomenon understood as a response to the democratic deficits of contemporary liberal democracies. While the liberal literature on the subject is critical of populism, accusing it of undermining typically liberal principles and institutions, authors nonetheless recognize its democratic potential. This tension recreates the canonical distinction between liberalism and democracy. In this context, we go beyond a normative appraisal of the Chilean uprising to argue that it presents characteristics identifiable as populist within both the liberal and radical conceptual frameworks, and that the unrest can be interpreted as a denouncement of the current workings of liberal democracy, seen as incapable of properly processing the will of the people.