Fires and pensions: When it doesn’t rain it pours

CHILE - In Brief 05 Feb 2024 by Robert Funk

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It is not uncommon for the Chilean summer to be fairly dry. The country’s central valley barely sees a drop of rain between the months of November and March. As the winters have got drier as well, summer wildfires have become more common. In recent days, several fires have appeared around the country, but especially in the area surrounding the Valparaiso-Viña del Mar conurbation. There are suggestions that many wildfires have been set intentionally. The damage has been immense, both to rural and urban spaces. Tens of thousands of acres and thousands of homes have been destroyed, there are over 110 people dead so far, and landmarks such as Viña del Mar’s Botanical Gardens have been burned to the ground. It is, according to President Gabriel Boric, Chile’s worst natural disaster since the 2010 earthquake. Rebuilding will require millions. The economic cost of last summer’s fires approached the USD 1 billion mark. This year the figure is likely to be higher. The tragedy takes place just as the Chilean Congress, like the rest of the country, enters the summer break, and the Boric government approaches its half-way mark. With two failed constitutional reform attempts in the rear view mirror, Boric now faces two electoral cycles (municipal this year, then congressional and presidential in 2025), and is eyeing his legacy, which will depend on getting at least one or two major reforms passed. Right now, efforts appear to be centered on pensions. Although pension reform has been on the agenda for several years, the failure to modernize the social security system through a new constitution places increased pressure on the legislative reform agenda. To this end, President Boric p...