After counting 23% of the votes in the referendum on the Constitution, the Chilean Electoral Service (Servel) showed that 37% voted in favor of the proposed Constitution and 62% voted “Reject”, a trend that practically already means the victory of the last option.
Although the final results are not yet known, Servel detailed that the “Reject” option won in 16 regions of Chile, including the metropolitan region where Santiago is located, where many experts had predicted a victory for the “Agree” option.
Thus, the text with 388 articles drawn up by the Constitutional Convention over a year was rejected.
The new constitution, focused on social rights, the environment, gender equality and indigenous rights, would replace the current market-friendly text that dates back to Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship.
The new text came from an agreement between lawmakers and protesters to quell violent protests against inequality in 2019.
Polling stations across the country reported long lines and high turnout as Chileans took part in the mandatory vote, which experts say adds uncertainty to polls that have consistently shown a higher chance of rejection than support.
The executive, legislative and political parties are expected to reach a new agreement in the coming days that will allow the continuation of the constitutional process.
There is a political consensus on both the left and the right that the founding process should continue with a new constitutional convention fully elected by the people.
