Pants-of-dog wrote:The main impetus for this referendum started with widespread dissatisfaction at transit fares, but quickly grew because of the high cost of living for most Chileans, caused by the private parts of the educational system and healthcare system.
Actually that's driven more than rent than even education or healthcare - something you quite obviously have no experience with, since you live in Canada and have no need to search for a place to rent in Santiago. I know this first hand, since I'm in the age bracket where rent is a problem, and even having a degree doesn't guarantee you will be able to actually start your own life. While this happens in several developed countries, this is new in Chile and it's not what those of us who started university back in the 2000s, and paid for it, expected. While this of course affects the middle classes more the truth is that even upper middle class Chileans are having trouble to leave their nest without any parental help. My solution was to seek a degree abroad and, well, it turns out I have an easier time affording things here than there.
But regardless, it is indeed true that the cost of living (relative to earnings) has gone up. And it is also objectively true this has been particularly bad for millennials.
Another major issue has to do with the pension system, particularly for pensioners but millennials obviously get to see what can happen to you when you grow old.
As for inequality, it's high as usual and (interestingly, actually) at levels around the historical average (and has been decreasing a bit these last few years, but nothing significant). Inequality alone doesn't explain this given its roughly average levels. I think the above + broader ideological trends in the West (American style identity politics) are a better explanation.
PS: Oh, and lest I forget - this is something we are both missing but it's a major factor too - the political parties, the Church and several government institutions were completely delegitimized by a string of corruption cases where punishment was not duly granted. For instance, there was a major case of a mix between bribes and tax evasion scheme (corporations would bribe politicians and pass it as expenses, thus evading taxes) where the majority of politicians came out scots free as the Chilean IRS decided not to prosecute back in 2015. The IRS head is named by the President.