Hemisphere Weekly: high hopes for a new Chilean constitution

After 50.8% of eligible voters turned out to take part in a national referendum on Sunday, Chile is now on a two-year path toward a new constitution. The vote comes after a year of protests and riots that have shaken the country, with many early observers noting that the landslide referendum has rekindled hope in the civic process. In response to the vote and the end of the Pinochet-era constitution, Chileans poured into the streets in celebration. Highlighting Chile’s mistrust in the political class, 78 percent of the voters opted for creating a new constitution, beginning with the establishment of a specially-elected body of citizens, consisting of half women and half men, to draft the charter.
 
In April 2021, the 155 members of the constitutional convention will be selected and will then have nine months to deliver a draft charter that must be approved by a two-thirds majority. The November 2021 presidential campaign will also coincide with the constitution-writing process. Chileans expect that the new constitution will address water and land rights, as well as privatized systems for healthcare, education, and pensions.
 
Broadly, the national referendum represented a desire among Chileans to redistribute power and better reflect a modernized Chile. Since 1990, when Chile officially transitioned into a democracy, the country has experienced economic growth and poverty reduction, but these developments have also been accompanied by an acute concentration of wealth and growing inequality. Though the recent vote demonstrates popular desire to bring an end to the memories of the Pinochet dictatorship, significant challenges remain. Of greatest concern for those celebrating the results of the referendum is the fact that even once the draft constitution is delivered, the country will need to vote again to determine whether the new charter will be accepted or the previous constitution will be reclaimed.