Chile Legislators Revive Push to Allow Withdrawing All Pension Account Money

  • Convention rejected proposal to safeguard pension savings
  • There’s no sign of broad support for withdrawal of all money

Commuters wait for a train at a subway station in Santiago, Chile, on March 28.

Photographer: Cristobal Olivares/Bloomberg
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Chilean opposition lawmakers are considering legislation that would allow workers to withdraw all of their pension savings, the latest move on the private system that lost $50 billion during the pandemic.

A convention committee on Tuesday voted down a measure dubbed “con mi plata no” -- “do not mess with my money” -- that would have made it illegal for the government to seize those funds. Instead, the committee, dominated by left-wing parties, approved a proposal creating a social security system administered by not-for-profit public entities.