The result exceeded the wildest hopes of the demonstrators who have been denouncing social inequalities in Chile for a year now. Sunday, October 25, 78% of voters voted in favor of a new Constitution. The country will therefore put an end to the current text, which had been adopted in 1980 under the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990) and which was the first in the world to reflect neoliberal theories.
“It’s wonderful, I can’t believe it”, loose Natalia Gainza, 37, still stunned by this historic day. Like all her entourage, this sociologist voted for the drafting of a new text, in the hope “That things finally change: that all Chileans can have access to free and quality education, the same for health”. In Chile, access to services such as health, education and pensions very often depends on the purchasing power of users.
“Today, citizenship and democracy have won (…). It is a triumph for all Chileans who love democracy, unity and peace ”, said right-wing president Sebastian Piñera, whose management has been strongly criticized by protesters since the start of the social movement. “So far the Constitution has divided us. From now on, we must all work together so that the new Constitution is a great framework for unity, stability and a future. “
Rejection of the political class
The vote went smoothly and was marked by a turnout of 50.8%, a record since the end of compulsory voting in the country in 2012. In the evening, thousands of supporters of the “Apruebo” (“I approve”) gathered in Plaza Italia, in Santiago, to celebrate the results of the referendum. The approximately 14.8 million voters were also called upon to vote on the body responsible for drafting the new Constitution. 79% of voters voted for a “Constituent agreement”, made up of representatives elected especially for the occasion – the other option, the “Mixed agreement”, was to be made up of half of parliamentarians already in office.
“This massive vote for a Constituent Convention illustrates the immense rejection of the political class by the Chileans”, underlines Sylvia Eyzaguirre, researcher at the Center for Public Studies of Chile (CEP), who believes that “One of the big challenges in the coming months will be to elect representatives who have more legitimacy in society”. This election will take place on April 11, 2021: a total of 155 people will be nominated by the Chileans. “This is the first time in the history of the country that we will have the opportunity to define our Constitution. Finally, we are going to see the “moral of the people” reflected in a text! “, rejoices Ivan Cornejo, 37-year-old graphic designer and companion of Natalia Gainza.
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