Chile Enabling Environment Snapshot

In mid-2025, Chile entered a decisive pre-electoral phase marked by growing polarisation and the rise of outsider candidacies. In June, the ruling coalition’s primary confirmed Jeannette Jara as its candidate, while on the right José Antonio Kast and Evelyn Matthei chose to move forward separately, each aiming to consolidate their share of the conservative electorate without holding joint primaries. Five additional candidates also entered the race: Marco Enríquez-Ominami, Franco Parisi, Johannes Kaiser, Harold Mayne-Nicholls, and Eduardo Artés. Against this backdrop, a survey conducted by the Centre for Political Studies between May and June 2025 found that 62% of respondents viewed Chile’s current political situation as bad or very bad (slide 66).

In parallel, civil society organisations suffered the impact of the Convenios Case and this was reflected in a survey of the Universidad Católica de Chile and Sociedad en Acción, which surveyed 268 executive directors of foundations and corporations across the country. This document revealed that 88% of organisations believed that the case will continue to affect their work. Furthermore, at the 25th Pride March in Santiago, various organisations called for the long-delayed reform of the Zamudio Law (Ley 20609). According to them, the law still lacks preventive public policies and an institutional framework that guarantees effective protection against discrimination. The reform has been in parliamentary process for seven years, and they demanded it be addressed with the seriousness and urgency that it deserves. On the other hand, after several protests and marches led by fishing associations defending artisanal fishing quotas—alongside broader social mobilisation on the issue—Law 21,752 was passed. This law establishes clear rules to protect artisanal fishing quotas against concentration by large industrial fleets, ensuring a fairer distribution of marine resources and safeguarding the livelihoods of coastal communities. President Gabriel Boric publicly recognised and praised the advocacy efforts of these organisations during the law’s debate, highlighting how sustained citizen mobilisation can shape public policy. The law is significant not only for protecting artisanal fishers but also as an example of how civic participation and collective action can successfully influence legislation, thereby strengthening civic space in Chile.

Also, on 7 June 2025, President Gabriel Boric Font led the signing of the bill creating the National Care System (Chile Cuida), recognising care as a human right and state responsibility. In July, Congress passed the “More Women on Boards” Law, requiring gender balance in corporate governance, a milestone shaped by sustained advocacy from groups such as Comunidad Mujer and Chile Mujeres. On 11 August 2025, President Boric promulgated the law, stressing that “women must be present where decisions are made.” The ceremony underscored both the scale of inequality—54% of major company boards remain all-male—and the role of civil society groups such as Comunidad Mujer, RedMad, and Chile Mujeres in shaping the reform. In parallel, on 16 June 2025 Congress approved a comprehensive reform to the Adoption Law—after sustained advocacy by child rights groups—and it was subsequently promulgated on 31 July 2025 by President Boric. These initiatives illustrate the ongoing role of social organisations in pushing forward gender and social rights agendas.

Another milestone occurred on 19 August 2025, when Chile formally applied to join the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), following the creation in December 2024 of a tripartite Multi-Stakeholder Group composed of representatives from the government, civil society, and the mining industry, who developed a regulation and a 2025-2027 work plan. On 25 September 2025, it was announced that the application had been accepted, making Chile the fifty-fifth country and the eleventh in Latin America and the Caribbean to implement the EITI Standard. The multi-stakeholder group will work together for the first time to oversee EITI implementation.

Finally, on 1 September, and after a lengthy consultation process involving more than 6,600 people, the government submitted to Congress the bill to reform Law 20,500 (approved in 2011) on associations and citizen participation in public management. Although this law had been a major step forward in terms of the promotion of citizen participation spaces in public institutions, it was insufficient. The current proposal incorporates the opinions of social leaders, Civil Society Councils, municipalities, experts in citizen participation, and the citizenry and is projected to have a significant impact on the enabling environment for civil society by recognising participation as a right and aiming to provide participatory mechanisms with a more impactful and deliberative nature, moving beyond their mere advisory role.