Representation and silencing: the mapuche case in the chilean constituent process

This article aims to show that social prejudices, along with, of course, allied phenomena such as deliberate ignorance and elite capture, have plausibly provoked the silencing of Mapuche demands in the recent Chilean constituent process (2020–2023). This allows us to appreciate that it is possible for there to be silencing even if there is representation. In fact, the Mapuche case presented is plausibly not only an example of this but also of the more alarming possibility that representation, given a certain cultural context, can promote silencing. In a non-ideal world, in which the citizenry is loaded with prejudices and the communicative ambiance is adverse for certain groups, representation can trigger certain prejudices that promote silencing. This possibility does not invite us to abandon political representation in the case of such marginalized social groups but rather to become aware that significant cultural change and adequate communicative strategies must also be fostered and put in place to resist this form of epistemic violence.