Plebiscite in Chile: New Constitution rejected by wide margin

[peppertree]

A plebiscite held today in Chile as to the adoption of a new constitution was rejected by a wide margin, preliminary results show.

With 88% of the vote tallied, 'Reject' votes outnumbered those to 'Approve' by 62% to 38%.

Turnout among Chile's 15.2 million registered voters was estimated at an extraordinarily high 85% - or 13 million, compared to around 7 million for most presidential elections since the country regained its democracy in 1989.

The proposed charter is intended to replace a constitution imposed by the military dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet in 1981.

The plebiscite climaxes a process that began when the otherwise stable country exploded in student-led street protests in 2019. The unrest was sparked by a hike in public transportation prices - but it quickly expanded into broader demands for greater equality and more social protections.

The following year, just under 80% of Chileans voted in favor of changing the country's constitution.

A bridge too far?

After months of work, delegates came up with a document with 388 articles that, among other things, focuses on social issues and gender parity, enshrines rights for the country's Indigenous population, and puts the environment and climate change center stage.

It also introduces rights to free education, health care, and housing.

Its designating Chile as a "plurinational state" - not unlike neighboring Bolivia - proved controversial with even many supporters however, and by 2022 approval for the new charter had dissipated.

President Gabriel Boric, 36, has been one of the main proponents of the new constitution, and has pledged to submit a new constitutional proposal for public approval.

Analysts say voters also likely view the vote as a referendum on Chile's youngest-ever president, whose popularity has plunged since taking office in March.

At: https://www-eldestapeweb-com.translate.goog/internacionales/chile/plebiscito-en-chile-ya-votaron-boric-pinera-y-bachelet-por-la-nueva-constitucion-20229413290?_x_tr_sl=es&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

Chilean President Gabriel Boric waves holds up his ballot in today's historic vote to replace the country's 1981 constitution - a holdover from the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship.

Following a massive media campaign against it however, the progressive new charter was rejected by around 24%.

President Boric has pledged to submit a new constitutional proposal for public approval.

[Judi Lynn]

1. While reading this information I was also thinking the Pinochet followers would be throwing fits

to prevent progress out of the days of madness and violent suppression by Nixon-supported Pinochet.

Then I saw the "massive media campaign against it" was thrown at the population, and wasn't suprised at all, sadly. What a powerful shame. It's not out of the question that US funds made their way to that campaign, as well, covertly, from the US American people, just as, in the days of Nixon, the US public dumped millions into Chile covertly to send CIA people to work in Chile's largest newspaper outfit, El Mercurio, sponsor deadly truckers' strikes, etc., etc., etc., not to mention the time and effort spent creating whoppers to be spread throughout the US concerning how evil Allende was and why he should not be the President of Chile, complete with bizarre stories made up to villify him, down to the claim he kept a red pair of satin pajamas in his desk drawer in his office! Yeah, right!

US America has had some huge companies in Chile, after all, and they, by god, didn't want Allende to remain in office, where he might nationalize the copper industry, AT&T, and even the Pepsi Company, of which movie star Joan Crawford was a Board of Directors member.

From an article written in 2001:

As journalist William Blum notes, there’s one thing the United States hates more than a Marxist in power, and that’s a democratically elected Marxist in power. A prime example was Salvador Allende of Chile. September 4 marks 31 years since his election. September 11 marks 28 years since his death in a U.S.-sponsored coup.

“I don’t see why we need to stand by and watch a country go communist because of the irresponsibility of its own people.”

—Henry Kissinger, June 27, 1970

http://web.mit.edu/hemisphere/events/kissinger-chile.shtml

So glad to see the last line of the article, peppertree:

President Boric has pledged to submit a new constitutional proposal for public approval.

Thank you for the very significant news.

Enjoy Labor Day. Everyone can use the time, for sure.

[Judi Lynn]

2. K & R. ⭐️