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| Centro de Estudios Bicentenario | |
|---|---|
| Name | Centro de Estudios Bicentenario |
| Native name | Centro de Estudios Bicentenario |
| Established | 2010s |
| Focus | Historical research; cultural policy; political thought |
| Headquarters | Santiago, Chile |
| Director | Hernán Larraín |
Centro de Estudios Bicentenario is a Chilean think tank and research institute focused on interpretations of History of Chile and Hispanic cultural heritage, linked to contemporary debates in Chile and Latin America. It engages scholars, journalists, and public intellectuals from networks related to National Renewal (Chile), Independent Democratic Union, and Catholic institutions such as Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and Universidad Católica del Norte. The center situates its work in dialogue with transnational currents including the Inter-American Development Bank, the Cato Institute, and comparative projects responding to the legacies of Augusto Pinochet and Salvador Allende.
The institute emerged in the 2010s amid debates following the 2010 Chile earthquake and the constitutional dynamics catalyzed by the 2019–2020 Chilean protests, positioning itself within a constellation of organizations that includes Instituto Libertad y Desarrollo and Fundación Jaime Guzmán. Founders and early collaborators drew on networks connected to figures associated with Patricio Aylwin, Ricardo Lagos, and opponents of the Popular Unity (Chile), while engaging historians of the War of the Pacific and the Chilean presidential election, 2017. The center has organized events at venues such as Biblioteca Nacional de Chile and cooperated with foreign partners like Instituto da Empresa in Spain and the Heritage Foundation in the United States.
The stated mission aligns with promoting study of Chilean institutional traditions, fostering discourse on constitutional order, and disseminating research on figures such as Diego Portales, Bernardo O'Higgins, and José Miguel Carrera. Objectives include producing policy briefs that intersect with debates around the Constitution of Chile (1980) and the drafting processes linked to the Chilean constitutional referendum, 2020. The institute frames its work through conferences invoking comparative references to Juan Carlos I of Spain, Evo Morales, and constitutional episodes like the Spanish transition to democracy and the Argentine economic crisis of 2001.
Governance structures mirror models found at Brookings Institution, American Enterprise Institute, and European counterparts such as Fondation Robert Schuman, with a board often populated by alumni of Universidad de Chile, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, and professionals from the Chilean Senate and the Chamber of Deputies of Chile. Funding sources reported in public discourse include private donors linked to business groups active in the Comisión del Mercado Financiero and cultural foundations such as Fundación para el Progreso; the center has also received invitations to partner with entities like Inter-American Dialogue and Consejo de Rectores de las Universidades Chilenas. Its legal form follows Chilean norms for non-profit organizations registered with the Servicio de Impuestos Internos.
Programs span seminars on historical memory integrating research on the Rodeo of Chile and commemorations of events like the Battle of Iquique, public lectures featuring commentators who have appeared on Canal 13 (Chile) and Radio Agricultura, and training workshops for municipal officials from regions such as Biobío Region and Antofagasta Region. The center runs study groups on constitutional comparison with case studies on the Constitution of Argentina and the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, summer schools that invite visiting fellows from Universidad de Navarra and George Mason University, and collaborative projects with museums like the Museo Histórico Nacional (Chile).
Public output includes monographs, policy papers, and a regular magazine that circulates analyses referencing works such as The Conservative Mind and historiography by Jorge Larraín. Articles from the center have been cited in national outlets including El Mercurio (Chile), La Tercera, and opinion pages of The New York Times in Spanish-language commentary. The institute maintains podcasts and YouTube series hosting conversations with scholars from Universidad de Salamanca, Universidad de Buenos Aires, and commentators associated with El País and The Washington Post.
Influence is visible in advisory roles during constitutional dialogues and appearances before legislative committees of the National Congress of Chile, prompting debate across partisan lines involving actors such as Gabriel Boric, Sebastián Piñera, and leaders from Revolución Democrática. Controversies have surrounded funding transparency and editorial positions on historical interpretation, with critics from Centro de Estudios Públicos and scholars linked to Universidad de Santiago de Chile challenging certain narratives about the 1973 Chilean coup d'état and human rights legacies associated with Commission for Truth and Reconciliation (Rettig Report). International commentators have compared the center's model to think tanks involved in debates in Spain and Mexico.
The center and affiliated scholars have received awards and honors from cultural institutions such as the Sociedad Chilena de Historia and academic prizes connected to Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and the Academia Chilena de la Lengua. Collaborations have led to grants from regional bodies including the Andean Community cultural programs and recognition at conferences organized by International Council for Philosophy and Humanistic Studies and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights for contributions to historical education and civic debate.
Category:Think tanks based in Chile Category:Organizations established in the 2010s