Social Policy in Latin America - Spotlight Chile
Latin America is
generally socially conservative. For example, in 14 out of 19 countries
surveyed by the Pew Research Center in late 2014, more than 50% of the
population was opposed to gay marriage.[1]
Much of the moral conservatism in Latin America is grounded in religious
convictions. The population of many Latin American countries is predominately
Catholic. The region as a whole accounts for about 425 million Catholics, or
40% of all Catholics in the world.[2]
Still more Latin Americans are Protestants, many of whom are even more
conservative on issues like abortion, homosexuality, and divorce.[3]
Chile, a coastal country of about 18 million people, is a little different. Chileans attend religious services less often than many of their South and Latin American counterparts and, unsurprisingly, rate religion as having less importance.[4] They also support causes like gay marriage at somewhat higher rates. Somewhere around 50% of Chileans support legal gay marriage.[5] Despite these liberal tendencies, Chile retains many trappings of classic Latin American social conservatism. Until recently, Chile was one of only four Latin American countries that legally banned abortion under all circumstances.[6]
However, under the leadership of President Michelle Bachelet, Chile’s relative social liberalism is translating into legal change. On August 21st, Chile’s Constitutional Court, its highest judicial body, accepted the constitutionality of legal abortion in cases of rape, threat to the mother’s life, or deadly birth defects.[7] And more change could be on the way. Just one week later, in the last week of August, President Bachelet introduced a bill to allow same-sex marriage and same-sex adoption in Chile.[8] The law would extend protections first put in place in 2015 when same-sex civil unions were first legalized in Chile,[9] and would make Chile the fifth Latin American country to recognize full marriage equality, after Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Mexico.[10] Chile began its recent path of legal reform in 2012, when then-President Sebastián Piñera ushered an anti-discrimination law through Congress in the wake of the brutal murder of Daniel Zamudio.[11] That particular bill had previously been held up in Chile’s Congress for seven years.[12]
Continued reforms are far from guaranteed, in Chile or elsewhere. President Bachelet must leave office in March 2018, which may be before the marriage equality bill can be stewarded through Congress.[13] Even before then, on November 19, 2017, Chileans will vote for new Congressional representatives, possibly undermining President Bachelet’s Congressional support.[14] In other parts of Latin America, legal change may have outrun political acceptance. Over the course of 2015 and 2016, Mexico’s Supreme Court and President Enrique Peña Nieto worked to legalize gay marriage.[15] However, thousands of Mexican citizens have protested the initiative,[16] and opposition to gay marriage polls at upwards of 40%.[17]
Regardless of the social headwinds, the legal change that has already occurred, led by the recent developments in Chile, and could continue to be a theme throughout Latin America in the coming decades, has broader implications for social policy all over the world and for domestic politics in the region. As mentioned, Latin America accounts for 40% of all Catholics. If their politics continue to trend towards more socially liberal policies, the Catholic Church is likely to follow. We have seen some relatively liberal statements and policies espoused by Pope Francis himself in the past few years, reflecting his first-hand experience as a Latin American Catholic.[18] A more socially liberal Catholic Church, an institution with 1.2 billion followers, has the clout to shift domestic politics in many countries around the world, including the Philippines, United States, Italy, France, and Spain.[19] On the other hand, a Church with shifting ideology may lose followers. In Latin America, the Catholic Church seems to be losing its most conservative members to Protestantism.[20] The breakdown of monolithic religiosity in Latin America clarifies domestic political divides and frees the Catholic Church from pandering to the most conservative portion of its following. In a paradoxical way, the exodus of conservative Latin Catholics to Protestantism might actually increase the Catholic Church’s ability, as a long-established religious and political power, to advocate for liberal reforms in the coming decades.
Latin American social politics are changing. People are splitting away from Catholicism, either stepping out of the chapel altogether or finding refuge in other houses of worship. The emerging religious divides reflect an ongoing societal battle, raging in many countries simultaneously, over social policy. In many ways, Latin America’s social conflicts reflect the same sticking points found in America’s political discourse, such as the trend towards marriage equality and the difficulties in legalizing abortion in even the direst situations. More political fights over social policy are on their way in Latin America and the results will have wide-ranging consequences. Soon we find out the result of the next one: marriage equality in Chile.
Chile, a coastal country of about 18 million people, is a little different. Chileans attend religious services less often than many of their South and Latin American counterparts and, unsurprisingly, rate religion as having less importance.[4] They also support causes like gay marriage at somewhat higher rates. Somewhere around 50% of Chileans support legal gay marriage.[5] Despite these liberal tendencies, Chile retains many trappings of classic Latin American social conservatism. Until recently, Chile was one of only four Latin American countries that legally banned abortion under all circumstances.[6]
However, under the leadership of President Michelle Bachelet, Chile’s relative social liberalism is translating into legal change. On August 21st, Chile’s Constitutional Court, its highest judicial body, accepted the constitutionality of legal abortion in cases of rape, threat to the mother’s life, or deadly birth defects.[7] And more change could be on the way. Just one week later, in the last week of August, President Bachelet introduced a bill to allow same-sex marriage and same-sex adoption in Chile.[8] The law would extend protections first put in place in 2015 when same-sex civil unions were first legalized in Chile,[9] and would make Chile the fifth Latin American country to recognize full marriage equality, after Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Mexico.[10] Chile began its recent path of legal reform in 2012, when then-President Sebastián Piñera ushered an anti-discrimination law through Congress in the wake of the brutal murder of Daniel Zamudio.[11] That particular bill had previously been held up in Chile’s Congress for seven years.[12]
Continued reforms are far from guaranteed, in Chile or elsewhere. President Bachelet must leave office in March 2018, which may be before the marriage equality bill can be stewarded through Congress.[13] Even before then, on November 19, 2017, Chileans will vote for new Congressional representatives, possibly undermining President Bachelet’s Congressional support.[14] In other parts of Latin America, legal change may have outrun political acceptance. Over the course of 2015 and 2016, Mexico’s Supreme Court and President Enrique Peña Nieto worked to legalize gay marriage.[15] However, thousands of Mexican citizens have protested the initiative,[16] and opposition to gay marriage polls at upwards of 40%.[17]
Regardless of the social headwinds, the legal change that has already occurred, led by the recent developments in Chile, and could continue to be a theme throughout Latin America in the coming decades, has broader implications for social policy all over the world and for domestic politics in the region. As mentioned, Latin America accounts for 40% of all Catholics. If their politics continue to trend towards more socially liberal policies, the Catholic Church is likely to follow. We have seen some relatively liberal statements and policies espoused by Pope Francis himself in the past few years, reflecting his first-hand experience as a Latin American Catholic.[18] A more socially liberal Catholic Church, an institution with 1.2 billion followers, has the clout to shift domestic politics in many countries around the world, including the Philippines, United States, Italy, France, and Spain.[19] On the other hand, a Church with shifting ideology may lose followers. In Latin America, the Catholic Church seems to be losing its most conservative members to Protestantism.[20] The breakdown of monolithic religiosity in Latin America clarifies domestic political divides and frees the Catholic Church from pandering to the most conservative portion of its following. In a paradoxical way, the exodus of conservative Latin Catholics to Protestantism might actually increase the Catholic Church’s ability, as a long-established religious and political power, to advocate for liberal reforms in the coming decades.
Latin American social politics are changing. People are splitting away from Catholicism, either stepping out of the chapel altogether or finding refuge in other houses of worship. The emerging religious divides reflect an ongoing societal battle, raging in many countries simultaneously, over social policy. In many ways, Latin America’s social conflicts reflect the same sticking points found in America’s political discourse, such as the trend towards marriage equality and the difficulties in legalizing abortion in even the direst situations. More political fights over social policy are on their way in Latin America and the results will have wide-ranging consequences. Soon we find out the result of the next one: marriage equality in Chile.
[1] http://www.pewforum.org/2014/11/13/chapter-5-social-attitudes/
[2] http://www.pewforum.org/2014/11/13/religion-in-latin-america/
[3] http://www.pewforum.org/2014/11/13/religion-in-latin-america/
[4] http://www.vanderbilt.edu/lapop/chile/AB2014_Chile_Country_Report_V3_Rev_W_060217.pdf
[5] http://www.vanderbilt.edu/lapop/chile/AB2014_Chile_Country_Report_V3_Rev_W_060217.pdf;
http://www.pewforum.org/2014/11/13/chapter-5-social-attitudes/
[6] http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/08/chile-court-lifts-complete-ban-abortion-170821174541491.html
[7] http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/08/chile-court-lifts-complete-ban-abortion-170821174541491.html
[8] http://www.gaytimes.co.uk/news/85262/chile-introduces-same-sex-marriage-bill/
[9] http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-32296246
[10] http://www.gaytimes.co.uk/news/85262/chile-introduces-same-sex-marriage-bill/
[11] http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-18016907
[12] http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-18016907
[13] http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/08/chile-bachelet-sends-gay-marriage-bill-congress-170828174326501.html
[14] http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/08/chile-bachelet-sends-gay-marriage-bill-congress-170828174326501.html
[15] https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-09-13/gay-marriage-legal-mexico-mexicans-are-still-fighting-over-whether-it-should-be
[16] https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-09-13/gay-marriage-legal-mexico-mexicans-are-still-fighting-over-whether-it-should-be
[17] http://www.pewforum.org/2014/11/13/chapter-5-social-attitudes/
[18] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/09/07/what-has-pope-francis-actually-accomplished-heres-a-look-at-7-of-his-most-notable-actions/?utm_term=.db945fba1ecd
[19] http://www.romereports.com/en/2017/04/07/ten-countries-with-the-most-catholics-according-to-vatican-statistics/
[20] https://qz.com/342810/why-the-catholic-church-is-losing-latin-america-and-how-its-trying-to-get-it-back/
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