Legitimization Of The Statu Quo Through Presidential Speeches In Chile: A Critical Discourse Analysis

This article aims to analyze one of the most relevant political communication tools in Chile: the public account presidential speeches. Through a qualitative analysis, within the methodological framework of the critical discourse analysis (CDA), this article considers the theoretical-political aspects from linguistic, political, sociological, mental and contextual perspectives which are present in the presidential messages of the administrations of Sebastian Pinera (2010-2013) and Michelle Bachelet (2014-2017). The analysis shows that the functional aspect of these discourses, combined with elements of rituality and solemnity, manifests the Executive Branch's intention to reaffirm their legitimacy through rhetorical components that appear to question the foundations of the status quo, but which, in concrete terms, perpetuate the traditional nature of the country's political, social and economic system.