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The people of Chile chose this October 25 to end the Constitution that governed the country since 1980 (approved by a questionable plebiscite¹), with 78’27% of the affirmative votes². Likewise, 78.99% of the citizens voted in favor of the new Constitution being drawn up by a Constitutional Convention³, formed in equal parts by popularly elected members and parliamentarians in office. The turnout was 51%⁴.

However, this is just the beginning of a journey that is estimated to end in 2022. This is the chronology of this constituent process:

• November 15, 2019: Agreement for Peace and the New Constitution.
• December 24, 2019: Constitutional reform that modifies the current Constitution to incorporate the itinerary and rules of the constituent process.
• March 29, 2020: The president calls, by decree, the entry plebiscite of October 25, 2020.
• October 25, 2020: Plebiscite in which it is decided whether to approve or reject the idea of   a New Constitution, and which would be the body that drafts it.
• April 11, 2021: Election of conventional constituents.
• May or June 2021: Installation of the Constituent Convention.
• Up to 9 or 12 months later: The Convention approves a new constitutional text
• Approximately 60 days later (August 2022 approximately): There will be a plebiscite to approve or reject the new Constitution⁵.

This plebiscite arose as a result of the numerous popular protests last year in the country, the result of decades of economic and social abuses by the established Powers. These protests were later known as the Social Outbreakand the event that finally led to them was the rise in subway tickets, on 10/04/2019. The repression carried out by the State has left, according to the National Institute of Human Rights [of Chile], 3,203 victims⁶. There have been torture, eye loss injuries and sexual abuse, among many others. And, although it has not been officially confirmed due to the difficulties that this implies, it is estimated that 32 people have died during the riots, many of which would have been at the hands of the State⁷.

The repealed constitution dates from the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. There is currently considerable consensus regarding the claim that this dictatorship was a test for the neoliberal policies that currently govern the global economic and political systems⁸. The US supported both the military coup and these profound and disastrous reforms. It is estimated, on the other hand, that the regime murdered and/or “made disappear” more than 3,000 people, most of them opposition, intellectuals or university students. 33,221 people were also imprisoned and most of the time tortured for political reasons. The vast majority of the women detained suffered, in addition to torture, sexual abuse⁹.

The Pinochet dictatorship spanned from 1973 to 1990. In 1988, as a result of widespread popular discontent, a referendum took place to decide whether or not for Pinochet to continue in command of the State. The “no” won, despite the fact that the plebiscite took place during the dictatorship, and in 1990 parliamentary elections were called, which meant the end of his tyranny¹⁰. However, as in many other countries, economic doctrines and the non-reparation of victims continue to this day. That is why the people of Chile said “enough”, that is why they exploded. That is why Everything was questioned¹¹. They are an example to the world.

1 https://www.bcn.cl/historiapolitica/elecciones/detalle_eleccion?handle=10221.1/63186&periodo=1973-1990
2 https://www.gob.cl/procesoconstituyente/
3 https://www.gob.cl/procesoconstituyente/#plebiscito
4 https://www.servel.cl/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Participacion_plebiscito_2020.pdf
5 https://www.gob.cl/procesoconstituyente/#plebiscito
6 https://www.indh.cl/indh-entrega-balance-a-un-ano-de-la-crisis-social/
7 https://www.eldesconcierto.cl/2019/12/27/los-muertos-que-el-estallido-olvido-los-dos-cuerpos-que-fueron-encontrados-en-tienda-saqueada-de-valparaiso-no-tenian-senales-de-quemaduras/
8 https://www.katari.org/pdf/shock.pdf
9 https://www.indh.cl/bb/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/informe.pdf
10 https://www.bcn.cl/historiapolitica/elecciones/detalle_eleccion?handle=10221.1/63196&periodo=1973-1990
11 https://estallidosocial.com/la-historia-de-un-estallido/

More Information:

https://www.gob.cl/procesoconstituyente/

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