Miguel Antonio Bernal. Archive photo by Eric Jackson.
The legitimacy crisis
by Miguel Antonio Bernal
The events that are happening in our country make the nature, the dimension and the depth of the crisis we are going through, displace most of the horrors through which we have lived over the last half century.
The crisis of the prevailing political regime’s legitimacy is not just that. It is a crisis that goes much further, with very atypical characteristics. It occurs “cold,” that is, without large mobilizations. It comes in a context of exhaustion of the regime imposed by the militarist constitution.
Inserting ourselves politically into the evolving crisis is imperative if we really want to find a favorable alternative — or any sort of exit for the civic and democratic sectors.
The moral heart attack that, as a result of the legal epilepsy imposed by the Martinelli process, has given us the “not guilty” verdict, will end up sinking the branches of government and their institutions. Without further delay we must leave the fake dichotomy of the not anymore versus the not yet.
The most peaceful, progressive, participatory and popular exit is a constitutional convention. But this process will not crystallize at will. The power brokers idolize the militarist constitution and the status quo of tormenting social, economic, political and cultural inequalities on which they are well fed.
The constitutional convention process must be the result of a determined citizen participation, supported by the concrete claims of the major majorities for which the constituent will be the catalyst element, the lowest common denominator, which will allow the integration of a citizen force that can determine events.
Today, the civic sectors that are jaded and disgusted with the current state of the government, with the decomposition of its branches, with corruption and impunity, with the permanent disappointment of their aspirations as human beings, must set aside the contemplative attitudes of spectators Those who are fed up must assume responsibility as actors since the events will occur with or without them. People have to get involved so that the results are favorable. In a nutshell, long suffering constituents, or protagonists of a new constitutional convention. There is no other way.
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