Chile is said to be the wealthiest country in Latin America, but also one of the most socially unequal in the world. In the 1970s, aided by Pinochet’s dictatorship, the ‘Chicago Boys’ implemented an extreme free-market economy following Milton Friedman’s theory and teachings. Today, fifty years later, the system has imploded.

A small increase in subway fares sparked a social revolt: the 2019-2022 Chilean protests against the economic model that created wealth for a few but left the majority struggling to make ends meet. Amid the largest demonstration in Chilean history, the possibility of changing the constitution is raised. However, the model resists, and the police respond with violence.

Ramiro, a 70-year-old economist and successful businessman, struggled to understand the protests. He was part of the team that wrote “The Brick” (El ladrillo), a book outlining the neoliberal plan. Slowly, however, he begins to question his privileges and to feel a change is necessary.

Mariana, a 50-year-old Mapuche descendant and primary school teacher, experienced the dire consequences of that plan first-hand. Now, she marches to demand dignity for herself and her community. Her dream is to change the constitution imposed after Pinochet’s coup d’état in 1973 and to bring hope to future generations.

“Breaking the Brick” means changing the constitution, breaking the legacy of Pinochet’s regime and of the ‘Chicago Boys’. It means ending the influence of Milton Friedman in Chile and in the Western world – to allow the rebirth of a new paradigm. This is not a phenomenon that occurs in Chile only. It is global.