Comment SANTIAGO, Chile — Chileans voted Sunday on a proposed leftist constitution that would dramatically transform a country once seen as a free-market model for the region, with results expected late at night. The ballot asked voters to approve or reject replacing the country’s 1980s dictatorship-era constitution – considered one of the most business-friendly in the world – with one of the most egalitarian and inclusive constitutions in the world. people. The proposed constitution would be a sea change for the South American nation, expanding the role of government and outlining an economic model designed to reduce inequality and uplift the poor. The document, drawn up through a democratic process, began as an attempt to unify a country in crisis. In 2019, the streets of Chile erupted in protest, fueled by working and middle-class people struggling with high prices and low wages. In a society long seen as a symbol of prosperity in the region, thousands of Chileans vented their anger at a government they felt had forgotten them. Politicians negotiated what they saw as a way to ease the unrest: They promised to draft a new constitution, replacing the version written under the brutal military regime of General Augusto Pinochet. The following year, Chileans voted overwhelmingly in favor of drafting a new charter. But instead of uniting the nation, the process ended up dividing it once again. Polls last month showed a plurality of voters opposed to the proposed constitution. Chileans voted on Sept. 4 for a progressive new constitution that would dramatically transform a country once considered a model of the free market. (Video: Reuters) The 388-article document was heavily criticized for being too long, too left-wing and too radical in its economic, judicial and political proposals. Like other closely watched referendums around the world – from the Colombia peace deal to Brexit – the debate was marred by misinformation, disinformation and confusion over the interpretation of such an exhaustive document. However, many of the concerns focused on a core issue of national identity. The proposal described Chile as a “multiethnic” country made up of autonomous indigenous nations and communities. “It divides Chile and Chile is a nation,” said Maria Gefe, a 65-year-old housekeeper who voted to reject the constitution in the capital Santiago on Sunday. “We will be even more divided than we are now.” At the same polling station, 42-year-old Maria Barros, a mother of two, captured the sentiments of many across the country: “Chileans agree that we must change the constitution,” she said. “But not like this.” The vote was also a referendum on the country’s young president, 36-year-old Gabriel Boric, Chile’s most left-wing leader since Salvador Allende, who killed himself in the 1973 military coup that toppled his socialist government. Boric had promised voters last year that “if Chile was the cradle of neoliberalism, it will also be its grave.” But the success of his ambitious plans rested in part on the success of the proposed constitution. And the young leader has suffered a plunge in approval ratings amid escalating violence and rising inflation. If the proposal fails, the 1980 charter will stand and Boric and his country will be left to start from scratch. To write a new charter, constitutionalists say, Chileans would probably have to bring the issue to their congress, start new elections for a new assembly and start the drafting process all over again. After voting Sunday from his hometown of Punta Arenas, a town near the southern tip of Chile’s Patagonia region, Boric was asked by reporters if, in the event of a vote against the proposed constitution, he would seek a political agreement to launch a rewrite. The president pledged to “convene a broad national unity … and move forward with this process.” “This is a historic moment that I think is very important for all of us, regardless of our choice, to feel deeply proud of,” Boric said. “In the difficult times we have gone through as a country, we have chosen as a path, as a way of resolving our differences, a progress towards more democracy and never towards less.” Chile’s bold experiment: A divided country votes on a new constitution The The proposal would enshrine some civil rights that have never before been included in a constitution, emphasizing many of the priorities of leftist social movements led by younger Chileans: gender equality, environmental protection, indigenous and LGBTQ rights, and legal access to abortion. It would ensure access to high quality education, health care and water. It would grant rights to nature and animals and require government to address the effects of climate change. It is believed to be the first constitution to require gender equality between governments and public and private corporations. For Nel González, a 36-year-old woman who votes in the inner city, the proposal held the possibility of a new kind of government that prioritizes the social rights of its people. “Today is a very hopeful day for Chile,” he said. “A constitution is at stake for a country that is much more democratic and much more equal.” It was written by an unusual elected assembly that drew participants and political newcomers from across the country who had rarely felt represented in national politics. The 155-member constitutional assembly was made up equally of men and women, and 17 seats were reserved for the country’s 10 indigenous communities. But it was made up mostly of independent and leftist members and faced criticism from those who felt the convention neglected to incorporate conservative views. The convention was also plagued by controversy that helped fuel a campaign to discredit it. A prominent representative was elected to the convention on promises of free, high-quality health care, citing his own experiences with leukemia. But he resigned after news broke that he was faking his illness. Chile is writing an awake constitution. Are Chileans ready for this? However, the assembly marked the first time that a group of democratically elected people sat down – in a transparent and open process – to draft a constitution for the country. “This constitution was written by elected, regular and ordinary people. That gives it enormous value,” said Mario Opazo, a 59-year-old who voted for the proposal in downtown Santiago on Sunday. “It may have some imperfections, but most of it was built with the wishes and by the people of this country.” Alberto Lyon, a lawyer who voted in the affluent neighborhood of Las Condes, said he voted to write a new constitution. “But I thought they were going to write a Western constitution,” the 66-year-old said. He described the proposed version as “indigenous” and “in the Venezuelan style”. “It’s a disaster,” Lyon said. “It changes the whole political system.” For Bárbara Sepúlveda, Sunday’s ballot was a vote on a document she helped write. Whatever happens, the 37-year-old left-wing representative of the Constitution said: “I can’t help but feel that I am part of a progress, a triumph.” “In a country where it seemed nothing could change,” he said, “we now see that anything is possible.” John Bartlett contributed to this report.
