"The Oasis" Essay on the Public Agenda and the October Social Outburst

Abstract

The events of October 2019 mark a critical moment in the history of Chile. High school students invite people to evade payment of the Santiago Metro as a form of struggle. This fact marks the beginning of a social and political crisis that is strongly felt nationwide. The period is quickly referred to as a ‘Social Outbreak’ and, although several data known by the State administration and apparent in the Public Agenda anticipated the crisis, they were not taken into account. But how did we arrive at this situation? The factors at the base of the outbreak show that the crisis is deep, it has existed for decades and it is very complex to deal with. All the same, the events that occurred are challenging public policy to incorporate non-traditional categories of analysis that allow decision-makers to understand the variety of elements that affect the public sphere. In this sense, the seriousness of the situation requires an intelligent exercise in power administration that releases conflicting tensions and generates spaces for well-being and social security, which are perceived by citizens as such.