approve or reject a new constitution

Chileans decide on Sunday if they approve in a plebiscite a new basic law that would replace the current Constitution bequeathed by the military dictatorship. It is a mandatory consultation, whose result will also mark the path of the government of President Gabriel Boric.

Boric, who has only been in power for six months, welcomed the “Approval” of the plebiscite and tied him to what would be his four-year term. The 36-year-old leftist leader maintains that approving a new Magna Carta is a mandate after 78% of Chileans they voted in favor of that route two years ago and after the social outbreak of 2019.

However, the approval has the country divided and is emerging as something complicated to achieve. The latest polls indicate that the option in favor of approval would obtain around 35% of the votes, about 10% less than the “Rejection”. The surveys were based on voluntary voting models, although this plebiscite, to which 15 million voters are called, is compulsory.

possible rejection

What can happen if approval succeeds? Eduardo Gamarra, professor of international politics at Florida International University, responded to the voice of america: “From creating a new form of representation to the very definition of the country, Chile becomes a multinational country.”

However, both Gamarra and Adolfo Salgueiro, a professor at the Andrés Bello Catholic University, agree that Chileans are likely to reject the proposed project.

“Only 30% voted for there to be a constituent assembly and for it to be made up of the class of people who are there, while the majority abstained. So it seems that given the fear of the project that is being voted on, the majority could participate and the draft Constitution would be rejected,” he said. salgueiro to the VOA.

Expectation in the US

As the day arrives Chileans in the United States waiting to participate in the plebiscite. Abroad, voting is voluntary.

Freddy Ramos Núñez is a Chilean immigrant. He came from North Carolina to Florida to participate in the vote this Sunday.

According to him, “people say: ‘I have the right to express myself, I have the right to give an opinion, I have the right to the left, to whatever’, but if you don’t do your part. How can you declare that you have the right or not'”.

Other Chileans in Miami hope to settle their differences with their nationals in peace, such as the immigrant Angélica Carvallo, who says she is “happy with all this that is going to happen.”

“What I want is for it to be calm, for people to be calm, for them to behave and whoever wins, let’s take it the right way.”

Chileans residing in five US jurisdictions will be able to vote in South Florida this weekend.

Whichever option wins, a new Constitution or one that follows that of the military, it will be subjected to a series of reforms to which the ruling party and the opposition have committed if they are imposed in the plebiscite.

^{* With information from The Associated Press.}

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