Chileans vote this Sunday in a plebiscite on whether to adopt a comprehensive new constitution that, if approved, will fundamentally change the South American country.
The proposed charter is intended to replace a text imposed by the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990) 41 years ago.
Voting, which is compulsory, started early with mostly adult voters, who are traditionally the first to cast their ballots.
The metro of the capital, Santiago de Chile, which concentrates 40% of the electorate, will be free all day to encourage participation.
Their cars had a large part of their seats occupied.
In addition, most of the 15 million voters summoned to the plebiscite were moved to polling places close to their homes.
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“It is a historic day.
For the first time in history, people are deciding their own future,” said voter Italo Hernández, 50.
"We must leave behind the Constitution of (Augusto) Pinochet that only favored people with money."
"It's very symbolic, very emotional," he stressed.
People line up to vote in a plebiscite on a new constitution in Santiago, Chile, on Sunday, September 4, 2022. Matías Basualdo / AP
Mabel Castillo, 42, stated that "there are other forms and paths to achieve what the people are asking for or what we need as a nation that is not simply changing a Constitution... we all need to evolve."
"I know that it is an old Constitution that needs changes, but not in the way that it is being done today," he said.
Gustavo Puertotorres, a 29-year-old surgeon, disagreed when considering that the new Constitution "is the one that is going to generate change in this country."
"The eyes of the world are on Chile"
One of the first to approach the polls was the President of the Republic, Gabriel Boric, who did so in Punta Arenas, his hometown, along with his parents, his partner, Iriana Karamanos, and one of his two brothers.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric greets supporters before casting his vote in Punta Arenas, Chile, on Sunday, September 4, 2022. Andres Poblete / AP
Boric, 36, stressed that the "eyes of the world are on Chile", urged citizens to vote "with joy and responsibility" and warned that whatever the result, the country is prepared to move forward with the reforms.
“I can guarantee that our will and our action, regardless of the result, will be to call for a broad national unity from all sectors, from all social organizations, from civil society, from political parties, we want to hear all the voices to be able to move forward with this process,” he stressed.
The earliest riser, however, was former progressive president Michelle Bachelet, who voted at the Chilean consulate in Geneva (Switzerland), where she was registered as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, a position she left just this week.
Bachelet was the only one of the former presidents of Chile who openly confirmed her vote in favor of rejection, as was her colleague from the center Eduardo Frei, who similarly took the side of the no.
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the polls
For months, opinion polls have shown a clear lead for the “Rejection” side, but the gap has been narrowing, giving supporters of change hope that they can pull off a victory.
Marta Lagos, head of the local pollster MORI, pointed out that the result would be adjusted and that the Chileans could decide at the last minute.
“Chileans are political animals who decide at the last minute,” she pointed out.
Roberto Izikson, manager of the Cadem pollster, said that the plebiscite is located in an "open scenario", and that the result would depend on the levels of participation.
The result will be crucial for the president who has been one of the main defenders of the new Constitution.
Analysts say voters also see the poll as a referendum on Chile's youngest-ever president, who has seen his popularity plummet since he took office in March.
Three Chileans in front of a booth that distributes copies of the draft for a new Chilean Constitution, on August 29, 2022Marcelo Hernández/Getty Images
The plebiscite culminates a three-year process that began when a country previously considered an example of stability in the region erupted in student street protests in 2019. The protests began over an increase in transportation prices, but soon expanded to more demanding demands. of more equality and more social protections.
The following year, just under 80% of Chileans voted in favor of changing the country's Magna Carta.
Then, in 2021, they elected the delegates to the constitutional convention.
In full anti-system fervor, Chileans mainly chose people from outside the traditional political class to draft the text.
It was the first in the world written by a parity group of men and women.
The new constitution
After months of work, the delegates delivered a 178-page document with 388 articles that, among other things, emphasizes social issues and gender equality, enshrines the rights of the country's indigenous population and places climate change and the environment in priority in a country that is the world's largest producer of copper.
It also introduces the rights to free housing, health and education.
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The new constitution describes Chile as a multinational state, establishes autonomous indigenous territories and recognizes a parallel system of justice in those areas, although legislators would decide how far their authority could go.
"This is a door to build a fairer, more democratic society," considered Mapuche academic Elisa Loncon.
“It is not that Chile is going to wake up with its political and economic problems automatically resolved, but it is a starting point.”
Instead, the current constitution is a document that prioritizes business and the private sector over the state on issues like education, pensions, and health.
Nor does it refer to the indigenous population, which accounts for almost 13% of its 19 million inhabitants.
Elisa Loncon, indigenous leader and first president of the constitutional convention, said the new charter would not immediately solve the country's economic and political problems, but it was a path to a more just and democratic society.
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Hundreds of thousands of people packed a large avenue in the Chilean capital on Thursday night after the last rally of the campaign in favor of the constitution, a turnout that organizers say shows an enthusiasm not reflected in the polls.
Some Chileans fear that the text leans too far to the left.
Paulina Lobos, who has campaigned against it, stated that it was an imposition of leftist radicals on society.
Its defenders, however, pointed out that this opposition was due in part to a barrage of false news surrounding the proposal.
With information from AP and Efe.
