Apruebo Dignidad

Apruebo Dignidad
Name	Apruebo Dignidad
Founded	2021
Headquarters	Santiago
Position	Left-wing to far-left
Country	Chile

Apruebo Dignidad is a political coalition in Chile that emerged as an electoral alliance uniting several leftist and progressive formations ahead of the 2021 elections. It brought together established parties and social movements to contest presidential, parliamentary, and constitutional votes, engaging actors from municipal councils and national legislators to grassroots activists. The coalition operated within the context of post-2019 protest politics, the Presidency of Sebastián Piñera, the 2019–2020 Chilean protests, and the Chilean constitutional process initiated by the 2019 Chilean protests and the 2020 Chilean national plebiscite.

Background and formation

Apruebo Dignidad formed in 2021 against a backdrop involving the 2019 Chilean protests, the resignation of ministers in the Piñera administration, the negotiation of the Agreement for Social Peace and a New Constitution, and the election dynamics shaped by the 2020 Chilean national plebiscite. Founding actors drew on legacies from the Concertación, reactions to policies associated with Michelle Bachelet, and the rise of new figures after the 2011–2013 Chilean student protests. The coalition organized amid debates involving the Chilean Communist Party, Revolutionary Left Movement (MIR), and newer groups linked to municipal leaders from Valparaíso and Santiago. International context included references to leftist governments such as Lula da Silva in Brazil and movements like the Occupy Wall Street protests that influenced tactics and rhetoric.

Ideology and political positions

Apruebo Dignidad positioned itself with programmatic commitments influenced by socialism, environmentalism, and feminism as articulated by member organizations tied to the traditions of the Communist Party of Chile and Socialist Party of Chile dissidents. Policy priorities referenced health sector reform debates that invoked institutions like the Caja de Seguro Obrero and the legacy of social policies from the Concertación governments under Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle and Ricardo Lagos. On constitutional matters, the coalition advocated structural change resonant with demands of the 2019 Chilean protests and proposals debated in the 2021 Chilean Constitutional Convention election. Economic proposals intersected with discussions around the Chilean pension system, the role of the Central Bank of Chile, and the extractive industries exemplified by companies operating in the Atacama Region and disputes reminiscent of the Escondida mine controversies.

Organizational structure and member parties

The coalition comprised several parties and movements including the Comunes, the Revolutionary Democratic Party splinters, and groups allied with the Communist Party of Chile. Leadership and coordination occurred through joint electoral committees involving municipal leaders from Providencia and La Florida, parliamentary deputies, and activists from labor unions such as those historically connected to the Central Única de Trabajadores and sectoral organizations that have clashed with the Empresa Nacional del Petróleo model debates. The alliance's internal organs mirrored structures seen in coalitions like Nueva Mayoría and used campaigning apparatuses comparable to those of Frente Amplio (Uruguay) and transnational networks including contacts with Podemos (Spain) and Syriza.

Electoral performance and campaigns

Apruebo Dignidad contested the 2021 presidential election and legislative races, coordinating candidate lists in districts across regions including the Valparaíso Region, the Biobío Region, and the Metropolitan Region of Santiago. Campaign messaging referenced social demands from the 2019 Chilean protests and legislative debates in the Chamber of Deputies of Chile and the Senate of Chile. The coalition's candidates campaigned on platforms that engaged with issues implicated in controversies surrounding the 2020 Daniel Jadue mayoral elections and drew comparisons to electoral strategies used by the Bolivarian Revolution and progressive campaigns in Argentina under Alberto Fernández. Results influenced seat allocations vis-à-vis rivals such as the Chile Vamos coalition and the centrist parties that once formed the Concertación.

Role in the 2021–2022 Chilean constitutional process

Apruebo Dignidad played a significant role in the debates following the 2020 Chilean national plebiscite and during the 2021 Chilean Constitutional Convention election cycle, mobilizing support for constitutional proposals that echoed demands from the 2019 Chilean protests and thematic commissions similar to those in the Convention on the Future of Europe. Its representatives engaged with drafting processes that tackled rights related to health, water, and indigenous recognition connected to the Mapuche conflict and legal frameworks influenced by precedents such as the International Labour Organization Convention 169. The coalition coordinated with other leftist actors in attempts to influence the draft text considered by the public in the subsequent plebiscite, interacting with institutions like the Electoral Service of Chile during campaign periods.

Criticism and controversies

Apruebo Dignidad faced critiques from conservative forces such as Chile Vamos and centrist actors from the Party for Democracy (Chile) and Radical Party of Chile, who argued that its platform risked economic instability and challenged investor confidence tied to sectors represented by entities like the Antofagasta PLC mining interests. Internal disputes emerged over alliances resembling tensions in coalitions like Nueva Mayoría, with personalities and factions compared to leaders such as Camila Vallejo and Gabriel Boric prompting debates over strategy and coalitional discipline. Controversies also involved public debates over positions on public security that invoked responses from prosecutors linked to high-profile cases in Santiago and parliamentary inquiries in the Chamber of Deputies of Chile.

Category:Political coalitions in Chile