It’s been an interesting week for residents in Chile. Chilean voters overwhelmingly rejected a new constitution for the country.
Not only did 62 percent of voters reject the proposal, but they also turned out in large crowds to show their opposition. The proposed constitution would have significantly extended social rights, increased environmental regulation, and given the government wider responsibility for social welfare programs. It also would have provided full gender parity and added designated seats for indigenous representatives.
Chilean president Gabriel Boric championed the bill- but he seems to be taking the defeat rather well, saying “today the people of Chile have spoken, and they have done so loudly and clearly”.
They have given us two messages. The first one is that they love and value their democracy. The second one is the people of Chile were not satisfied with the proposed constitution and, therefore, decided to reject it at the polls.
Boric is also changing up his cabinet as a result. The 36-year-old president swapped the leadership of six government ministries on Tuesday in the first cabinet shake-up since he became Chile’s youngest president in March.
