The referendum marks the culmination of three tumultuous years of protests and political upheaval, in which a protest over metro fares grew into a widespread revolt against deep-seated inequalities and a disjointed political order. Many hope the new constitution will lead the country towards a fairer future, but the document has been criticized for its laxity and lack of precision – and polls suggest it may struggle to pass. The campaigns closed on Thursday night after weeks of frantic advocacy. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in downtown Santiago to watch politicians, public figures and musicians attempt to pass the proposal. Nearby, a small crowd of several hundred people waving the Chilean flag gathered for the closing rally of the Reject campaign. Polls have consistently shown that Chileans will vote to reject the constitution, although the campaign for the proposal has gained momentum as the vote approaches. Demonstrations against the new constitution, in Santiago, August 30, 2022. Photo: Javier Torres/AFP/Getty Images Among the crowds clamoring for a new future under the proposed constitution was Manuela Chateau Vives, an 18-year-old student from Santiago who will vote for the first time. “It’s so exciting to vote for a constitution that represents the demands we made during the protests,” he said, looking through the sea of flags at the tent set up on one of the capital’s main avenues. “It was our generation that jumped the ticket barriers to start this movement and now it’s up to us to finish it.” In October 2019, high school students protested an increase in rush-hour metro fares by jumping turnstiles at stations around Santiago. This small act of civil disobedience set off a tidal wave of dissent, sparking a political crisis and eventually pushing political leaders to agree to a new constitutional referendum. When the vote was held a year later, almost 80% of voters chose a new document. The draft enshrines gender equality, recognizes Chile’s indigenous peoples for the first time and makes the state responsible for mitigating climate change. But he has been heavily criticized for shaking up the political system, which will replace the Senate with a “chamber of regions” made up of representatives from across the country. “The constitution has a very strong indigenous bias,” said Cristián Warnken, a lecturer and columnist who founded a centrist party to voice concerns about the proposal. “The political system [it proposes] it is an experiment – there is nothing like it around the world – and the list of social rights will be difficult to finance. It’s irresponsible.” Other observers are less concerned. “It’s a good constitution,” said David Landau, a law professor at Florida State University who was in Santiago closely following the proceedings. Dancers perform as part of the closure of the campaign of supporters of a new constitution, Santiago, September 1, 2022. Photo: Alberto Valdés/EPA “There’s nothing that radical in there. It reflects the trends of modern constitutionalism, with a handful of innovative clauses.” While some international support was widespread, the Financial Times, the Economist and the Washington Post published strong criticisms of the proposal and suggested a rewrite. Both the outcome and the future path should the Chileans reject the proposal are far from certain. Elections in Chile are usually voluntary and characterized by low turnout, but in this referendum everyone aged 18 and over must vote. If Reject wins, President Gabriel Boric said a new assembly should be elected and the process repeated, while Warnken’s bloc proposed a new process but with the inclusion of more experts. Others proposed reforming the unpopular current constitution in Congress. If the proposal is rejected, the Pinochet-era document will remain in place while a solution is sought and Chileans will brace for more protests.
