Chileans rejected the new Constitution: Hard blow to president Boric

The rejection of the project won by more than 60% when more than 12 million voters went to vote at the polls.

A resounding majority in Chile rejected on Sunday, September 4, the proposed Constitution that sought to change the one inherited from the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1989) for another with more social rights, in a result that exceeded the most optimistic expectations of the conservative opposition and that meant a heavy blow to President Gabriel Boric.

More than 15 million voters were summoned to the polls on a day with high participation by compulsory voting (more than 12 million voted) and in a large part of the country the option against the Constitution was imposed.

With 99.4% of the votes counted, the rejection prevailed with 61.88% compared to the approval which obtained 38.12% , reported the electoral service.

The project enshrined an indigenous "plurinationality" and established a new catalog of social rights in health, abortion, education and pensions, with a marked emphasis on the environment and the protection of new rights, although it maintained the market economy.

The right celebrated the result
"It is a defeat for the refounding of Chile," said Javier Macaya, president of the conservative UDI party. "We are going to continue with the will to continue the constituent process, we are going to fulfill our commitment," he promised at a press conference, surrounded by "Rejection" supporters who were celebrating.

"Tremendous beating of rejection over approval. Nobody anticipated this distance of more than 20 percentage points," said sociologist Marta Lagos, founder of the Mori pollster, who described the result as a "resounding failure," whe wrote on Twitter.

The October 2020 plebiscite to decide to enter a constitutional process, after the great social revolt of 2019 in demand for greater social justice, had the support of almost 80% of the electorate.

"Apruebo" (I approve) won almost exclusively among a majority of Chileans abroad, where there were some 100,000 registered voters.

What did the project of the new Constitution of Chile say
The new text, of 388 articles and elaborated during a year by a Constitutional Convention, enshrined a "Social State of Rights", in response to claims expressed in the massive demonstrations of October 2019.

In the first article, Chile is defined as a social, multinational, intercultural, regional and ecological State. It defines its democracy as “inclusive and equal”.

Regarding fundamental rights, it defined them as those inherent to the human person, and they are considered essential “for the dignified life of individuals and peoples, democracy, peace and the balance of nature”.

This chapter brings together articles on freedom of expression, individual security, personal ambulatory freedom, sexual and reproductive rights, right to life and physical and mental integrity, freedom of association, housing, health, care and workers' rights.

The articles related to sexual and reproductive rights establish, among other points, that the State must guarantee women and "people with the capacity to gestate" "the conditions for a pregnancy, a voluntary interruption of pregnancy, voluntary and protected childbirth and maternity.”

There is an article dedicated to comprehensive sex education, which includes the recognition of the various gender identities and expressions and the eradication of stereotypes.

The regulation linked to health implies the creation of a National Health System of a "universal, public and integrated" nature. This system will be governed by the principles of "equity, solidarity, interculturality, territorial relevance, deconcentration, efficiency, quality, opportunity, gender approach, progressivity and non-discrimination".

The proposed new text of the Constitution say that education should be universally accessible at all levels and compulsory from the basic level to secondary education. The Public Education System should be secular, free and financed by the State permanently and directly, so that it fully and equitably complies with the purposes and principles of education.

The State "will respect the freedom of the press" and "will promote the pluralism of the media and the diversity of information."

This chapter also regulates the rights related to indigenous heritage and the Afro-descendant Tribal People.

Finally, this chapter contains the "right to a dignified death" which, although it does not speak directly of euthanasia or assisted death, ensures "the right of people to make free and informed decisions about their care and treatment at the end of their life ”.

All the polls had anticipated the victory of the "Rejection" but none with such ease.

"It's a disaster, I'm super sad. I can't believe this. We've been through a lot of things on the street to end up like this," María José Pérez, 33, a frustrated "Apruebo" supporter told AFP in Plaza Italia, where hundreds came together to share their frustration.

A week before the referendum, a trans man took the Chilean flag out of his anus

Translation: "..for our comrades who got their holes broken, let's abort Chile, let's about the internal macho, let's about the sexual dictatorship. Approve, approve!... this butthole needs approval. What is more pornographic, the butthole or political prisoners? The butthole or war? I want to remind you, I will show you not this butthole, but a bigger hole. Who wants my shit? Here you have it" [throws something to the public].

Boric commits to promptly promote a new constitutional process in Chile
The president of Chile, Gabriel Boric, promised this Sunday to promote a rapid and new constitutional process after the overwhelming victory of the "Rejection" of the new Constitution project.

"I promise to do everything on my part to build a new constituent itinerary," Boric said in a message to the nation after the rapid vote count.

Source: Perfil