Chile's far-right government shifts environmental policy toward mining and foreign investment, raising concerns over Indigenous rights and ecological preservation
Original framing: “‘Kast is more like Trump’: Chile’s environmentalists prepare to do battle for the country’s future” — The Guardian - Environment
Chile’s environmental policies have been shaped by neoliberal reforms since the 1970s, often under military rule and international financial pressure. The current shift toward deregulation echoes past policies that enabled large-scale mining and water privatization, with devastating ecological consequences.
Chile’s environmental policy shift under the far-right government is not an isolated political event but a continuation of neoliberal economic structures that have long privileged mining interests over ecological and Indigenous rights.
The historical context of water privatization and land degradation in the Atacama Desert reveals a pattern of extractive governance supported by international financial institutions. Indigenous communities, who have maintained sustainable water and land practices for centuries, are now at the forefront of resistance. By integrating their knowledge into national policy and promoting alternative economic models, Chile can move toward a more just and ecologically resilient future. This requires not only legal reform but also a reimagining of development that centers Indigenous sovereignty and environmental justice.