El espacio público en disputa: Manifestaciones políticas, ciudad y ciudadanía en el Chile actual

Since 2001 a series of political manifestations have been taking place in Chile and the world that can be characterized as taking over the public space. In this article we review some of the features of this urban appropriation and propose that uses of public space for political manifestations in contemporary Chile not only define the format of contemporary social movements, but become a party in the reconfiguration of citizenship. This citizenship is moving away from the type of citizen imposed during the last two decades in the context of a cultural model of “national reconciliation”, characterized by its distance from social unrest and from the city as a space for political expression. Recent political manifestations in Chile lead one to think about this type of citizen is being replaced by a much more active citizen, one that is critical of the economic and political system, aimed at a greater degree of democratization and social justice, and establishes an intensive us of the public space.