Fiat iustitia dum mundum delemus. Algunas reflexiones acerca de la violencia, el neoliberalismo y el octubre chileno

Abstract

This paper discusses some of the explanations that have been offered about the social outbreak produced in October 2019 in Chile. I will argued that, despite what Mayol or other left-wing intellectuals claim, the cause of the outbreak is not found in inequality or in the commodification of life, typically attributed to “neoliberalism”. The reason for this lies, on the one hand, in the opportunities for the expression of subjectivity offered by the market and, on the other, in the finding that inequality has not increased but –on the contrary– has actually decreased during the time the free market system has been in place. I will then argue that the bitter violence that has taken place in Chile since October 2019 is explained by historical injustices prior to the establishment of the liberal system, and difficult to remove. The connection between violence and historical injustices is established through the symbols with which violent groups are identified, as well as with the aims of their attacks. There is, however, a warning about the impossibility of restoring justice through violence without unleashing, in turn, a new cycle of violence.