Management of Religious Diversity in Chile: Experiences from Local Governments

This article analyzes the origins, characteristics, and functioning of the Chilean public institutions dedicated to managing religious diversity at the municipal level. Paying attention to the effects produced by the promulgation of the 1999 Cults Law, the text problematizes how the tensions between political, technical, and religious elements affect the daily functioning of the Municipal Offices of Religious Affairs (OMARs in Spanish). Here, the influence of evangelical pressure groups seeking to position themselves at the level of local politics meets local governments led by mayors searching to expand their access to forms of organized citizenship. The article is based on a historical review of the forms of religious management in Chile and interviews with those in charge of the OMARs in communes of the city of Santiago.