A referendum with the highest turnout since the return to democracy shows a resounding rejection and a step backwards from progressivism
With a historic 85% participation, the highest since the return to democracy, Chile expressed a resounding “denial” (61.9%) of the draft of a new constitution. For the conservative right, the major defeat in last year’s presidential election is a landslide victory and a revenge. In fact, many international analysts believe that the result of the plebiscite puts the government of Gabriel Boric in trouble, while the most difficult on the left was Colombia’s newly elected president, Gustavo Petro, who wrote: “Pinochet revived.”
But for the progressive Chilean president, it was a victory for the people: “On September 4, democracy will be more robust,” Boric said after hearing the official results, in which the “I approve” option gained only 38.14%. of the votes vote. A big step back in the intentions of progressivism.
In order to calm the crisis a bit, Boric received the President of the Senate, Álvaro Elizalde, and the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Raúl Soto, early Monday morning at the Palacio de la Moneda, with the sole aim of immediately going to work. to create a new subproject. The president tried to remove the stumbling block, preferring to talk about dialogue: “This decision requires our institutions and political actors to work harder, more dialogue, respect and affection, until we arrive at a proposal that interprets us all.” Aware of the divisions of the country and that the road to rebuilding coexistence will be difficult, Boric invited all citizens to leave behind maximalism, violence and intolerance.
“You have to listen to the voice of the people. Let’s not forget why we came here. That discomfort is still latent and we cannot ignore it,” he said, adding that “we cannot let time pass and get involved in endless controversies. And he acknowledged that Chile lives between injustice, abuse and inequalities.” that need to be addressed, we cannot deny or hide them.”
Knowing the data from the surveys, Boric already saw what was to come and promised to continue fighting, regardless of the outcome of the plebiscite, to provide Chile with a new constitution that replaces the current one, which dates back to 1980 and was drafted during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.
According to the opposition, led by José Antonio Kast, President Boric is obliged to make drastic changes in his cabinet after the defeat in the plebiscite. On his Twitter account, the right-wing politician wrote: “Chile is a great nation and after tonight a freer country with more hope”, adding a hashtag that read: #VamosARecuperarCHIle.
Other analysts are demanding that Boric listen to the other part of a divided country and take charge of the fears of those who voted for the “denial,” fearing a constitutional project they saw as contradictory. The refusal of the text drawn up for a year by a constitutional convention, which reflected a more inclusive proposal with greater social rights, was fear, skepticism and mistrust, according to several Chilean politicians, in a new Magna Carta, which also envisaged sweeping changes. which poses a major risk to a population with an inflation rate of 13% and an ever-increasing uncertainty.
The Chilean brake on change strongly disagrees with the movements that emerged in October 2019 dubbed the “social breakout.” Chile took to the streets in all its cities to demonstrate violently for an increase in transportation, and the result of those protests left a balance of 32 dead, 8,812 prisoners and more than 12,000 injured. After that, 68% of the population voted ‘yes’ against the drafting of a new constitution.
Today no one dares to diagnose what will happen after the big difference achieved by the ‘no’ and in a scenario with greater uncertainty. Boric has promised to continue with the constituent process, but for that he will have to find a major agreement with the political parties and, above all, look for a formula that satisfies the right and does not prolong tensions. There are those who believe that it would be best if the constitutional reforms were passed through Congress, but what few consider will be reconsidered and of what Chile appeared to boast of being a unique country in the world. – a constitutional convention consisting of an equal number of men and women – will not be repeated.
The opposition asks Boric to change cabinet, negotiate with Congress and adjust his alliance policy. In that sense, some sources pointed out that Izkia Siches, the Minister of the Interior and Public Security, and Giorgio Jackson, who holds the Secretary-General of the Presidency, are the prime ministers to leave the government six months after taking office. With what is shown that the result of the plebiscite has punished not only the mistakes and internal struggles of the convention, but also the government of Gabriel Boric.
The ‘rejection’ of the new constitutional project was particularly evident in the indigenous majority municipalities and the Mapuche organizations, which celebrated the result for disagreeing with the text proposing to recognize Chile’s plurinational character precisely to support minorities. to give more powers. .
According to final data from the Electoral Service (Servel), the ‘rejection’ was clearly imposed in municipalities such as Alto Biobío –70.75% of the vote–, Saavedra –68.05%– or Cholchol –73.82–. The ‘no’ also won in indigenous majority municipalities such as Tirúa, Galvarino, Camiña, Colchane, San Juan de la Costa or General Lagos, according to what was reported yesterday by the newspaper ‘El Mercurio’.
“As people of indigenous peoples campaigning for the possibility of rejection, we expected the outcome we already know. Knowing what our Mapuche people are like, we had publicly predicted that the ‘rejection’ option would win by 60%,” Mapuche Enama Professionals Corporation president Hugo Alcamán said in statements to Araucanía Diario newspaper.
For Alcamán: “Chile needs a new constitution that includes us indigenous peoples, but in a responsible way.” For this reason, he defended that the following text “unites us as Chileans with all of us living in our beautiful country and incorporating our recognition and legitimate indigenous rights.”
During the voting day itself, there were some incidents in the area of Araucanía, such as roadblocks or an attack on a high-voltage tower.
Also released over the weekend was a statement from the armed group Coordinator of Communities in Conflict Arauco-Malleco (CAM), calling for “to remain at war with the Chilean state” and denouncing Mapuches’ detention for his activism against the Chilean “racist and colonialist state”.
Source: La Verdad
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