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| Humanist Party (Chile) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Humanist Party (Chile) |
| Native name | Partido Humanista |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Ideology | Humanism; Progressive Politics; Social Democracy |
| Position | Left-wing |
| Headquarters | Santiago, Chile |
| International | Humanist International |
Humanist Party (Chile) is a Chilean political party founded in 1984 that emerged during the final years of the Pinochet dictatorship and the transition to the Chilean transition. It is associated with humanist principles and has participated in multiple electoral alliances, social movements, and civic campaigns involving figures from the Concertación era to the Broad Front. The party has influenced debates on constitutional reform, indigenous rights, and environmental policy.
The party was founded by activists who organized against the Augusto Pinochet regime, including participants in demonstrations such as the 1983 protests and networks linked to the Movimiento Unidad Humanista. Early activists engaged with campaigns against the 1988 plebiscite and in alliances with groups from the Christian Left, Socialist Party, and the Communist Party during the democratic transition. During the 1990s the party faced registration challenges under laws established by the Pinochet regime and later adapted to regulatory changes introduced by the Electoral Service of Chile. The Humanist Party took part in the anti-globalization mobilizations connected to the World Social Forum and aligned with leaders from the Movimiento de Izquierda Revolucionaria and civil society actors active in the No+AFP pension protests and student mobilizations associated with the 2011–2013 Chilean student protests.
The party espouses a form of human rights-centered humanism influenced by thinkers from the New Left and activists linked to the Nonviolent action tradition. Platform priorities have included calls for a new constitutional process, expansion of public health access, reform of social security institutions such as the AFP system, recognition of Mapuche claims, protection of biodiversity and climate change mitigation, and promotion of civil liberties including LGBT rights and gender equality. The Humanist Party has framed policy proposals in dialogue with actors in the environmental movement, feminist movement, and student movement, advocating participatory mechanisms similar to those discussed in deliberations after the 2019 protests.
The party is organized with national, regional, and communal committees operating in urban centers such as Santiago, Valparaíso, and Concepción, and in rural constituencies in the Araucanía Region and Los Lagos Region. Leadership structures have included a national board, spokespersons, and assemblies modeled after participatory practices used in the World Social Forum and European humanist parties. Membership recruitment and candidate selection have intersected with civil organizations like the Movimiento de Defensa por el Derecho a Vivir and cultural networks tied to the Nicaraguan Revolution solidarities of the 1980s. The party has also maintained ties with the Humanist International and observer relations with progressive organizations in Latin America.
Electoral results have varied: the party achieved municipal representation in several communes and elected councilors in contests administered by the Servicio Electoral de Chile. It has run candidates in parliamentary and presidential contests, sometimes registering independently and other times joining coalitions like the Concertación splinters and later the Broad Front. Notable electoral moments include participation in legislative races during the 2009 Chilean parliamentary election, involvement in the 2013 and 2017 presidential cycles, and candidacies tied to the constituent process after the 2019–2021 Chilean constitutional crisis that followed the social unrest of 2019.
Prominent figures associated with the party include founding activists and later elected officials who engaged with national debates during the transition and the post-1990 period. The party has featured leaders who interacted with personalities from the Concertación era, intellectuals linked to Chilean universities, and activists who later worked with non-governmental organizations and regional bodies like the Organization of American States in civil society roles. It has also been a platform for younger leaders emerging from the 2011–2013 Chilean student protests and the ecology movement.
Historically the party entered alliances with the Christian Left, segments of the Socialist Party, and civil platforms opposing the Pinochet legacy. In the 21st century it has negotiated seats and candidacies within broader left and progressive coalitions such as the Concertación, the New Majority dissidents, and the Broad Front. It has collaborated with social movements including the No+AFP protests, indigenous organizations involved in the Mapuche conflict, and international networks like the Humanist International and regional progressive formations.
The party has faced controversies related to party registration rules enforced by the Servicio Electoral de Chile, disputes over candidate lists during primaries administered by the primary system, and internal governance debates during times of electoral setbacks. Legal challenges have included verification of signatures for registration as required under Chilean electoral law and conflicts over public financing audits related to municipal campaigns regulated by the Tribunal Calificador de Elecciones. At times, tensions with allied parties have led to public disagreements during negotiations over joint slates in legislative contests and during the constituent debates following the 2019 uprising.
Category:Political parties in Chile Category:Left-wing political parties Category:Political parties established in 1984