The path-dependent and path-shaping struggle over neoliberal trade liberalisation in Chile

A remarkable feature of the global political economy has been the durability of neoliberalism at the national—through neoliberal policies and programs—and international —through the increase of Preferential Trade Agreements—scales. This thesis examines these broader characteristics through an in-depth study of Chilean trade policy from 1973–2020. My argument is that the authoring of neoliberalism in Chile can be examined by analysing four conjunctural crises or moments. The first of these appeared during the 1981–1982 debt crisis following the rupture of the Pinochet period. The second occurred during and after the centre-left coalition—called Concertación—came to power in 1990. The third appeared after the 1998 Asian crisis, while the fourth has been ongoing since 2011 when the Chilean state sought to be part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. A critical political economy perspective is developed that combines three interlinked theoretical frameworks: a strategic-relational approach to the state, the concept of authoritarian neoliberalism and elements of Latin America dependency theory. The central argument is that there has been a path-dependent but struggle-driven constitution of trade liberalisation in Chile. It is also argued that this policy trajectory developed pathological features that were central elements for the continual reproduction of an authoritarian neoliberal trade policy with class-relevant characteristics. The originality of the thesis lies in tracking the authoritarian rise, hegemonic trajectory and decline of trade policy within these four conjunctures from a critical political economy approach. This investigation highlights how the central role of state power and class forces authored the reproduction of authoritarian neoliberalism and the lock-in of neoliberal capital accumulation. Finally, the thesis explores the conflicts, contradictions, and struggle-driven dimensions that have always been part of this economic policy