‘An End to the Chapter of Dictatorship’: Chileans Vote to Draft a New Constitution

[janoGX]

Chile did it, they started to get rid of Pinochet's legacy.

‘An End to the Chapter of Dictatorship’: Chileans Vote to Draft a New Constitution (Published 2020)

Voters overwhelmingly approved a bid to scrap the charter inherited from Gen. Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship, a move that could set a new course for the country.

www.nytimes.com

The referendum was headed for a landslide victory; with 62 percent of the votes counted, 78 percent were cast in favor of a new Constitution, and it was leading in almost every part of the country...

...Thousands of people flocked to the Plaza Italia in Santiago to celebrate on Sunday night, chanting, dancing, waving flags and setting off fireworks. Demonstrators unfurled banners addressed to Pinochet, with messages like "Goodbye, General," and "Erasing your legacy will be our legacy."

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After transitioning to democracy in 1990, Chile's market-friendly business environment, framed in part by the Constitution, attracted foreign investment. The country grew consistently and saw poverty go down. But this came at the cost of an acute concentration of wealth and growing inequality. Last year, the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America estimated that nearly a quarter of total income goes to 1 percent of Chile's population.

To cover the high cost of living, Chileans are greatly indebted. The Central Bank found last year that on average nearly three-fourths of household income was used to pay debt. The public health care and education systems are in shambles, and meager pensions force most people of retirement age to continue working.

Amalia Gómez, 66, barely gets by on a $125 monthly pension and picks up seamstress jobs to compensate. She and many others like her see a new Constitution as a path to better lives and a more equitable country for future generations.
"Why not, if we are a country rich in minerals, fish, agriculture?" she said. "Why can't we use those resources to our benefit, for our education and health?"

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Results with 99.69% of tallies: Approve 78,28% - Decline 21,72%

Want to watch the celebration?

 

[Deleted member 4783]

Goodbye neolib constitution! Good riddance!

 

[Shal]

Yesssss! Viva Chile!!!

This is a big step for a better future for Chile, I hope for the best and congratulations everyone!

 

[XavierFire]

Proud of my people 😁

VIVA CHILE

 

[janoGX]

A message from a Chilean to Era and maybe the US users too.

Do not be afraid of those social media morons. Do not. They don't exist, the "rechazo" tried to do the same strats as Trump fans, using bots in social media, misinforming, everything, but if everyone works together, it's an easy win, they don't exist. Just fight USA, just fight.

 

[lunarworks]

Good for Chile! Here's hope for a bright future!

 

[Adnor]

CE HACHE I
CHI
ELE E
LE
CHI CHI CHI
LE LE LE
VIVA CHILE

At this point, even if all the remaining votes are for the Rechazo and Convención Mixta, the Apruebo and Convención Constitucional already won.

 

[Fridaynightcatlady]

I'm glad we won. I voted in favor of change + constitutional convention (?). I hope the next steps forward are as respectful as our voting process. I'd hate to see the discussions being just as what we've seen in Congress (a circus or often, populism).

Btw, our electoral system is amazing ❤️

 

[Serpens007]

A message from a Chilean to Era and maybe the US users too.

Do not be afraid of those social media morons. Do not. They don't exist, the "rechazo" tried to do the same strats as Trump fans, using bots in social media, misinforming, everything, but if everyone works together, it's an easy win, they don't exist. Just fight USA, just fight.

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This!!! The far right has gigantic presence in social media, but in real life? They don't exist!

I hope this is one of the first steps to push back fascists all over the world.

We need to stress this: The new Constitution will be written in a Convention with Gender Parity. This is HUGE

 

[Reversed]

Good riddance and congratulations.

 

[ibyea]

Congrats Chile, this is huge.

 

[Mekanos]

May Pinochet and his legacy burn in hell. Solidarity with the Chilean people.

 

[minus_me]

Pity Friedman is dead and couldn't see this.

Good riddance and congratulations.

 

[Nepenthe]

Blessings to Chile in the wake of this victory. I hope this is the start of a better future for you all!

 

[Regulus Tera]

¡Bien hecho Chile!

 

[demondance]

Another major blow to neoliberalism! Bless the Chilean people for making the world a better place tonight. An example to follow.

 

[Javier]

Oh, and another thing to remember, Chile will be the only country in the world in which men and women, distributed equally, will write our Magna Carta because WE FUCKING CHOSE THAT :3

 

[Alvis]

Congratulations, Chile!

 

[Chumunga64]

I have friends in Chile and I couldn't be more happier for them

 

[Khanimus]

Fuckin rad. Congratulations to the people of Chile!

 

[NHarmonic.]

The far right seems way bigger in social media: turns out it's mostly bots and deranged lonely lunatics.

Fuck them! Go Chile! No more fear!

 

[MrChocolate]

Now to get as many "Consituyentes" as possible. If we get 50+1, we might have a chance. Otherwise we are still fucked.

 

[HiLife]

Good shit Chile.

 

[platocplx]

Incredible

 

[Marcus Aurelius]

Happy Fuck Henry Kissinger Day!

 

[Adnor]

Now let's make sure neoliberalism is not a constitutional principle of our country!

 

[Altazor]

I'm so fucking happy <3

We're doing this, boys. We're doing this.

We only have to keep up the fight. It's not over, not yet. But tonight... tonight we celebrate.

I don't think I've ever liked "Victory Celebration" as much as tonight. It fits so well.

 

[Shamash]

This is great news! Hoping the best for Chile.

 

[Beignet]

I'm so proud of you guys! May Pinochet's name and neoliberalism forever be synonymous with dirt.

I'm so sorry that our country ever supported that monster

 

[GK86]

I'm so happy for them.

 

[BringBackSonics]

Awesome for the people of Chile 👏👏

 

[JaseC64]

Congrats Chile! Glad for the people and their country!

 

[emilioasis]

Neoliberalism was born and will die in Chile

I'm so fucking happy.


VIVA CHILE!!!!!!!

 

[Altazor]

A couple of pictures from the celebrations

 

[Teddy]

Congratulations Chile!

 

[Adnor]

Of course, this is only the beginning.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

Really happy. Hope the transition goes wonderfully.

 

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Amazing news. Between this and the Bolivian election last week, it's been great to see some good wins following a year plus of mass action in the streets.

 

[Madrugador]

So happy right now. It has been an incredible day.

 

[Tochtli79]

Hope this will bring some positive change to Chile, congrats :)

 

[HappyTask]

Congratulations Chile!

 

[Serpens007]

I don't think I've ever liked "Victory Celebration" as much as tonight. It fits so well.

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It fits, doesn't it? So fucking happy. We need to make sure First Order doesn't rise lol


To think that this whole process was started by a bunch of teenagers who made the "grown ups" to grow a spine and finally do something.

 

[Javier]

Results with 99.69% of tallies: Approve 78,28% - Decline 21,72%

Good bye pinoshit, good bye jaime guzman, may both of you mother fuckers suffer for all eternity.

 

[Altazor]

It fits, doesn't it? So fucking happy. We need to make sure First Order doesn't rise lol

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yeah, it really really does. Someone said on twitter that this is the closest thing to the end of ROTJ he had even seen IRL. I think I agree? And that's why it fits.

And... yeah, we have to make sure they don't co-opt this historic chance. It's still a long road and we have some really hard parts coming up.

 

[makonero]

Congrats Chile! Love the gender parity stuff—so modern compared to every other government on the planet! Can't wait to see what comes next for you all.

 

[ZSeibar]

We did it, kids!! I'm extremely happy!!

 

[Pekola]

This is so good.

First Bolivia, and now Chile. Stamping out neoliberalism wherever it wants to give way to fascism.

 

[Holundrian]

In a year like this things like this give me energy. Amazing job done by everyone that pushed to this point and best of luck further.

 

[mbpm]

This and Bolivia may be the start of something

 

[Deleted member 14459]

Fantastic news though most people here won't understand how significant this is or appreciate the immense price Chile's people paid to get here