SANTIAGO – A new political movement has set up shop in Chile and aims to change the political landscape. ‘Comunidad en Movimiento’ was founded by veterans of the Christian Democratic (DC) party, Soledad Alvear and Gutenberg Martínez. The movement wants to attract youth from universities and parishes.
Soledad Alvear and Gutenberg Martínez have founded a new political project called ‘Comunidad en Movimiento,’ roughly ‘Community in Movement.’ At Pontificia Universidad Católica’s Law School, one of the most conservative and elite departments in the region, the ex-Christian Democrats unveiled details about their movement, saying they want to get youth from universities and different parishes involved.
En nuestro segundo taller de Comunidad en Movimiento con un Taller de Tony Mifsud sobre la “Vigencia del Humanismo Cristiano hoy”. Excelente pic.twitter.com/0WUuEVaI0f
— Soledad Alvear (@soledadalvear) July 21, 2018
Comunidad en Movimiento claims to take a centrist position, guided by a humanist-Christian vision. “Politics doesn’t require traditional parties, or autocracy. What politics needs is new political action that is clearer about its relation with power and with states. And policy that is more focused on society,” said veteran politician Martínez.
Not seeking to enter coalitions, Alvear explained that “doing the process the other way round would make us lose an identity and valuable time we can use to define what we really want to be, and what we really are.”
Gutenberg Martínez left the Christian Democrats in April, shortly before his wife Soledad Alvear. Martínez had dedicated more than 50 years of his life to the party, but he said he wanted to create something different. Interviewed by CNN, Martínez envisioned “a movement inspired in Christian-Humanism, with much identity and conviction. With strength but also with modernity.”
Irene Muñoz, former leader of the DC’s youth wing, was enthusiastic about the new party. She said “this is going to be a centrist movement, humanist and Christian. We are going to continue to be Christian democrats, and although we left DC, we still have much affection for the party.”
Alvear also assured she wasn’t trying to damage her old party. She left in the after DC members relentlessy blamed her for causing a deep crisis in the party. “I’m not destroying the DC, right the opposite, I am fortifying a movement that joins all those who want to add to this group, in which we will work so hard, as the journey is very tough,” she insisted.
