Plurinationalism

{{short description|Coexistence of two or more sealed or preserved national groups within a polity}}

Plurinationality, plurinational, or plurinationalism is defined as the coexistence of two or more sealed or preserved national groups within a polity (an organized community or body of peoples[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/polity polity], dictionary.reference.com). In plurinationalism, the idea of nationality is plural, meaning there are many nationals within an organized community or body of peoples. Derived from this concept, a plurinational state is the existence of multiple political communities and constitutional asymmetry. The usage of plurinationality assists in avoiding the division of societies within a state or country. Furthermore, a plurinational democracy recognizes the multiple demoi (common people or populace)[http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Demoi demos], thefreedictionary.com within a polity.Keating, Michael. [http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofPoliticsInternationalStudiesandPhilosophy/FileStore/EuropeanisationFiles/Filetoupload,38424,en.pdf Plurinational Democracy in a Post-Sovereign Order] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924110558/http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofPoliticsInternationalStudiesandPhilosophy/FileStore/EuropeanisationFiles/Filetoupload,38424,en.pdf |date=2015-09-24 }}, Queen's Papers on Europeanisation No 1/2002 Reportedly the term has its origin in the Indigenous political movement in Bolivia where it was first heard of in the early 1980s.{{Cite magazine |title=Chile Could Become "Plurinational." What Does That Mean? |date=2022-08-29 |magazine=Americas Quarterly |url=https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/chile-could-become-plurinational-what-does-that-mean/ |last=Burns |first=Nick |access-date=2022-09-03 |publication-date=}} As of 2022 Bolivia and Ecuador are constitutionally defined as plurinational states.{{Cite news |title=The Contentious Vote in Chile That Could Transform Indigenous Rights |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/02/world/americas/chile-constitution-vote-indigenous.html |last=Lankes |first=Ana |date=2022-09-02 |access-date=2022-09-24 |work=The New York Times}} Proposals for plurinationalism have also been heard in Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, and Guatemala.

Plurinational states are similar to multinational states, but are particularly often advocated for by indigenous peoples.{{cite book | last1=Tremblay | first1=Arjun | last2=Gagnon | first2=Alain-G. | title=Teaching Federalism | chapter=Multinational, multicultural, intercultural, and plurinational federalism | publisher=Edward Elgar Publishing | date=2023-01-03 | isbn=978-1-80088-532-5 | doi=10.4337/9781800885325.00021 | pages=141–153}}

Current

= Bolivia =

File:New Plurinational Legislative Assembly Building (Aymara-Quechua Hallway, 01).jpg building, as seen in 2022]]

In 2009, Bolivia adopted a constitution that renamed the country to the "Plurinational State of Bolivia",{{Cite book |last=Irazábal |first=Clara |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cfcJAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA150 |title=Transbordering Latin Americas: Liminal Places, Cultures, and Powers (T)Here |date=2013-11-07 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-135-02239-6 |language=en}} as spearheaded by Evo Morales.{{Cite news |date=24 January 2020 |title=Bolivians celebrate fourteen years of the Plurinational State |url=https://peoplesdispatch.org/2020/01/24/bolivians-celebrate-fourteen-years-of-the-plurinational-state/ |access-date=8 November 2024 |work=Peoples Dispatch}} Formerly, it was called the "Republic of Bolivia". Later, in 2010, Morales proclaimed January 22nd to be "Plurinational State Day", an annual holiday; it coincides with the day Morales took power in 2006.

= Ecuador =

In September 2008, Rafael Correa introduced a new constitution that described Ecuador as a "Plurinational and Intercultural State".{{Cite news |date=25 February 2022 |title=Latin America is moving towards Plurinationalism, slowly but definitely |url=https://peoplesdispatch.org/2022/02/25/latin-america-is-moving-towards-plurinationalism-slowly-but-definitely/ |access-date=8 November 2024 |work=Peoples Dispatch}} The new constitution also recognized 11 indigenous groups within the country. The concept of Ecuador becoming a plurinational state was previously proposed in 1988.{{Cite journal |last1=Sempértegui |first1=Andrea |last2=Báez |first2=Michelle |date=2024-05-03 |title=Ontological Conflicts in the Plurinational State: The Case of Indigenous Resistance against the Mirador Mega-Mining Project in Ecuador |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08941920.2023.2228241 |journal=Society & Natural Resources |language=en |volume=37 |issue=5 |pages=660–677 |doi=10.1080/08941920.2023.2228241 |bibcode=2024SNatR..37..660S |issn=0894-1920|url-access=subscription }}

Proposed

= Argentina =

Since 1986, Argentina has been home to an annual meeting for activists to discuss gender-based inequality.{{Cite web |last=Jaureguy |first=Martina |date=2023-10-14 |title=Thousands are gathering in Bariloche this weekend. Here’s why |url=https://buenosairesherald.com/society/thousands-are-gathering-in-bariloche-this-weekend-heres-why |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=Buenos Aires Herald |language=en-US}} In 2022, the name was changed from the "National Women's Meeting" to the "Plurinational Meeting" (though two events, one under each name, were held that year). In 2023, only the "Plurinational Meeting" was held, which was in the city of Bariloche.

= Chile =

File:Pueblos indigenas de Chile-ver.svg

In Chile constitutional plurinationalism has been a topic of debate. Plurinationalism was not a concept in the constitutional reforms proposed by Michelle Bachelet's second government (2014–2018), yet the proposed reforms included recognition of Chile's indigenous peoples.{{Cite report |title=Análisis comparativo entre la Constitución vigente y el proyecto de reforma constitucional de Michelle Bachelet |date=2019-11-29 |last=Soto Martínez |first=Víctor |volume=155-19 |publisher=Library of Congress of Chile |language=Spanish}} The 2022 proposed Political Constitution of the Republic of Chile defined Chile as "plurinational", however this proposal was rejected by a large margin in September 2022.{{cite news |author1=Vanessa Buschschlüter |title=Chile constitution: Voters overwhelmingly reject radical change |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-62792025 |website=BBC News |date=5 September 2022 |access-date=5 September 2022}} Prior to the dismissal of the proposed constitution the issue of pluranationalism was noted by polls and El País as particularly divisive in Chile.{{Cite news |title=El debate sobre el reconocimiento del "Estado plurinacional" divide a los chilenos |url=https://elpais.com/chile/2022-08-31/la-plurinacionalidad-de-la-nueva-constitucion-no-genera-consenso-entre-los-chilenos.html |last=Montes |first=Rocío |date=2022-08-31 |access-date=2022-09-24 |work=El País |language=Spanish}} The creation of a "plurinational region" in southern Chile has been proposed by some scholars and activists as a solution to the Mapuche conflict.{{Cite journal |title=El nuevo ciclo de movilización mapuche en Chile: la emergencia de la CAM y el proyecto autonomista para una región plurinacional |journal=Araucaria. Revista Iberoamericana de Filosofía, Política y Humanidades |last1=Marimán |first1=José |issue=34 |pages=279–301 |last2=Valenzuela |first2=Esteban |year=2015 |language=Spanish |trans-title=The new cycle of mapuche mobilization in Chile: the emergence of the CAM and the project for a plurinational autonomy region}}

Plurinationalism has been criticized by José Rodríguez Elizondo as being used to advance Bolivian claims against Chile for sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean.{{Cite web |title=Diplomático José Rodríguez Elizondo teme que la plurinacionalidad sea funcional a la estrategia marítima boliviana |url=https://www.elmostrador.cl/destacado/2022/07/18/diplomatico-jose-rodriguez-elizondo-teme-que-la-plurinacionalidad-sea-funcional-a-la-estrategia-maritima-boliviana/ |date=2022-07-18 |access-date=2022-09-21 |website=El Mostrador |last=Bruna |first=Roberto |language=es}}

= Costa Rica =

In August 2014, lawmakers in Costa Rica approved a first round vote for a bill that would describe the country as "multiethnic and plurinational" within the Constitution of Costa Rica.{{Cite web |last=Times |first=The Tico |date=2014-08-28 |title=Lawmakers vote to define Costa Rica as a multiethnic, plurinational country |url=https://ticotimes.net/2014/08/28/lawmakers-vote-to-define-costa-rica-as-a-multiethnic-plurinational-country |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=The Tico Times |language=en-US}}

= Guatemala =

In Guatemala, plurinationalism has been championed by Comité de Desarrollo Campesino and the Maya Waqib’ Kej National Convergence.{{Cite news |title=As Guatemalan Democracy Falters, Indigenous Communities Stand Their Ground |url=https://nacla.org/guatemalan-democracy-indigenous-plurinational |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241212153935/https://nacla.org/guatemalan-democracy-indigenous-plurinational |archive-date=2024-12-12 |access-date=2025-05-13 |work=NACLA |language=en}} In the Agreement on Identity and Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the government of Guatemala committed to reforms to recognize the Maya peoples, the Garifuna, and the Xinka people and also reframe the country in the Constitution of Guatemala as being "of national unity, multi-ethnic, multicultural and multilingual".{{Cite web |date=10 April 1995 |title=Agreement on identity and rights of indigenous peoples |url=https://peacemaker.un.org/sites/default/files/document/files/2024/05/gt950331agreementidentityandrightsofindigenouspeoples.pdf |website=peacemaker.un.org}} No such reforms have ever happened to date.