Chile Votes to Reject New Constitution

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Facts

  • The people of Chile have rejected a newly proposed constitution following a national referendum on Sunday. Of the 83% of the electorate to participate, 56% voted against the new legislation, while 44% of voters supported its introduction.1
  • Chile's current constitution was drafted in 1980 under the rule of dictator Augusto Pinochet, though it has been reformed 70 times since. Sunday's result follows a previous referendum in 2022, which saw 66% of voters reject a separate new draft constitution.2
  • Based upon preliminary results, a study by Faro UDD — a research center at the University of Development in Chile — found that 57% of high-income voters rejected the constitution, while 54.5% of low-income voters supported the draft.3
  • Polling in the lead up to the vote predicted rejection of the constitution, despite the fact that 80% of the Chilean population voted in favor of replacing the state's current constitution in 2020 following mass protests in the country a year prior.4
  • While the 2022 constitutional proposition was drafted by a left-wing majority convention, the 2023 composition was spearheaded by a right-wing majority. Since the result, Chilean President Gabriel Boric has claimed that any constitutional process will be on hold for the rest of his term in office, set to end in 2025.5
  • Boric commented after the referendum that the people of Chile were 'demanding ... a better capacity for dialogue, of consensus... [and] action,' claiming further that the country had become 'polarized' and 'divided.'6

Sources: 1BBC News, 2EL PAÍS English, 3La Tercera, 4France 24, 5Americas Quarterly and 6reuters.com.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Americas Quarterly. While most Chileans desire a modernized constitution, the reality remains that the country's public will only support a text which sensibly changes the nation's landscape instead of attempting to codify left- or right-wing ideology. The country's radical swings in policy direction between differing governments have so far made constitutional unity impossible — consensus must be made before Chile's outdated foundations can finally change.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Economist. Constitutional referendums in Chile have been marred by a widespread lack of interest in national politics. A falling economy and a rise in crime in recent years has led many to lose faith in democracy. The governing actors of Chile must bring return confidence in the current capabilities of the state — only then will the public truly believe in a vision as bold as implementing a new constitution.

Predictions