Chilean Former Minister Jackson Details Self-Criticism After Right-Wing Election Victory
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A candid assessment of recent political shifts in Chile has emerged from former minister Giorgio Jackson,who shared a detailed 18-page document outlining self-criticisms following the victory of josé Antonio Kast in the presidential runoff. Jackson, a leader within the Frente Amplio coalition, attributes recent setbacks to a complex interplay of factors, ranging from the handling of the social outbreak to missteps in the government’s policy implementation.
Jackson’s reflections, which began circulating within political circles, draw on insights from former candidate Jeannette Jara adn even football manager Marcelo Bielsa, emphasizing the formative power of failure.”Success is distorting, it relaxes, it deceives, it makes us worse,” he wrote, contrasting it with failure’s ability to “make us solid, bring us closer to convictions, and make us coherent.”
The Weight of Unresolved Conflicts
The document identifies several key events that shaped the current political landscape. Jackson describes the 2019 social outbreak as “the peak of that mobilization process,” triggering an “interpretative dispute that still marks the political present.” He acknowledges a failure to capitalize on the momentum for constitutional change, leading to the rejection of the proposed new constitution.
Performance
Within the document, Jackson details what he considers “avoidable mistakes” made during the current governance. These include “erratic initial signals” in coalition building, a lack of engagement in the constitutional process after the initial round, and his own perceived role as a barrier to trust within the coalition due to “clumsy statements about the ‘scale of values and principles.'”
Other points of self-criticism include a problematic intervention in Temucuicui,a flawed process for presidential pardons related to the social outbreak,a miscalculation regarding tax reform,and the controversial purchase of homes belonging to former presidents Aylwin and Allende,which led to the resignation of a minister and a senator.
Jackson also highlights two cases – the “conventions case” and the “Monsalve case” – as requiring “special detention.” The Conventions case, originating in June 2023, involved allegations that a foundation linked to the Democratic Revolution party secured a 426 million peso contract with the Ministry of Housing despite lacking the necessary experience and exhibiting conflicts of interest. This led to significant opposition pressure and ultimately Jackson’s resignation as minister, though he maintains the accusations against him were ultimately false, with key figures retracting their statements in court.
The handling of the Monsalve case, involving a former Undersecretary of the Interior, was described as “erratic,” marked by details leaks and a swift request for resignation just three days after the initial complaint. This, jackson notes, also raised questions about the actions of other ministers.
Acknowledging Achievements amidst Challenges
Despite the extensive self-criticism,Jackson also emphasizes the accomplishments of the past four years. He points to increases in pensions and the minimum wage,the reduction of the work week to 40 hours,the implementation of a mining royalty,the introduction of zero copay in the public health system,a new food pension program,the fulfillment of a housing goal of 260,000 units,and the establishment of a national care system. He also cites progress in areas like the national search plan, the conversion of Penal Punta Peuco, and the resolution of historical debt with teachers.
Jackson concludes by acknowledging a shift in priorities and the opening of a “new cycle” in Chilean politics. He raises critical questions about the role of the PDG (Partido Demócrata Cristiano – Christian Democratic Party) and the response from progressive sectors. “beyond the work of governing until the last day and guaranteeing an impeccable transfer of command, the first thing we must do is listen with humility,” he asserts.
He urges his colleagues to resist internal divisions and to find a role as a “firm, responsible and purposeful opposition,” recognizing that answers will not come quickly and will require sustained engagement with communities across the nation.
