The Constitutional Convention submitted Monday, May 16, for consideration, the first version of the new Chilean "Magna Carta", which enshrines a new
"catalogue of social rights"
, in response to the demands of Chileans who want a country where there is greater social equality.
“Here are the aspirations of millions of citizens who have placed their hopes and dreams in this process
,” said the President of the Convention, María Elisa Quinteros, in the speech in which she formalized the delivery of the draft of the new Constitution.
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The handover took place during a special plenary session, the 104th since the creation of the Convention on July 4, at the foot of the ruins of Huanchaca, a national monument located in Antofagasta, located 1,330 km north of Santiago. .
“This text embodies a new way of relating to the other, a new way of understanding life in our country, where everyone can feel protected.
With these rules and these articles, we are beginning to build a fairer Chile
,” added María Elisa Quinteros.
For its revision, the draft of 499 articles was submitted to the Harmonization Commission, which must ensure order and consistency.
The new Constitution aims to replace the one in force since the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990).
The new text, which guarantees new social rights, will be submitted to a referendum with a compulsory vote on September 4, after being submitted to President Gabriel Boric.
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Violent protests erupted in October 2019 in Chile, to demand more social justice in a very unequal country.
The proposal for a new Constitution left out many ideas that generated controversy during the discussions, such as the recall referendum, the loss of autonomy of the Central Bank and the nationalization of mines.
It enshrines a
“catalogue of social rights”
which the State will have to guarantee: the right to health, education, decent housing and pensions.
It also establishes a new order of the political and judicial system, as well as a new way of distributing power in regional governments.