This chapter examines the period of political instability and governance failure that hit Chile as the constitutional process developed. It looks at the country’s rapid deterioration across several key areas—including rising crime, economic anxiety, and institutional distrust—and argues that it was neither unavoidable nor inevitable, but induced by the strategic choices of political actors. Opposition forces contributed to instability through repeated impeachments, the promotion of pension fund withdrawals, and a narrative that delegitimized security institutions amid a surge in violent crime. Once in office, the new administration failed to respond effectively to public concerns, maintaining an open-border migration policy during a period of mounting anxiety, downplaying the severity of the security crisis, and engaging in poorly executed symbolic gestures that further eroded confidence. Controversial decisions, including highly criticized pardons and public disputes with oversight institutions, reinforced perceptions of partisanship and incompetence. In the end, the overambitious pursuit of structural reform—carried out in a moment of institutional fragility and public mistrust—did not bring about renewal, but instead deepened disillusionment and triggered a broader political realignment, with enduring consequences far beyond the constitutional process.