La medición de la renta de la tierra minera en Chile y sus cursos de apropiación (1940–2017)

Abstract

En este trabajo, se presentan los fundamentos y resultados para una nueva base datos sobre la renta de la tierra minera en Chile (1940- 2017) que tiene en cuenta no sólo las ganancias extraordinarias de las empresas del sector sino diferentes mecanismos de apropiación. Los resultados son ponderados para el conjunto de la economía nacional por lo que a su vez se aporta una serie original de la tasa de ganancia general y sus componentes como la plusvalía y el capital total adelantado. Se presenta en el artículo una fundamentación metodológica basada en los desarrollos de Marx y una revisión crítica de las estadísticas existentes y de los cálculos previos.In this paper, we present the foundations and results for a new rent database on mining land in Chile (1940–2017), which takes into account not only the surplus profits of the sector, but also the different mechanisms in which this land is appropriated by other social actors. The results are weighted in relation to the whole national economy, which is why an original time series of the general rate of profits and its components, surplus-value and total advance capital, is also provided. In this paper, we posit a methodological foundation based on Marx’s developments and a critical review of the existing statistics and previous measures. The results are original as they are the first long-run time series of mining land rent which considers the main appropriation mechanisms by different social actors. In turn, it shows that previous studies underestimate the weight of mining land rent in the Chilean economy, particularly when the prices of copper are rising. In addition, the results make it possible to pose new questions regarding the development of the national specificity considered. As a result of this new evidence, we indicate specific determinations of the different political cycles in Chilean national life, showing the historical persistency of mining land rent beyond changes in its appropriation forms and, therefore, stepping outside of the import substitution industrialization and neoliberalism dichotomy, which dominates the long-run economic historiography in this country.