Proponents of Chile's new progressive constitution vowed to keep fighting Sunday following their crushing defeat in a plebiscite whose outcome was cheered by the oligarchs and corporations who spent heavily on the "no" campaign.
"Today is a sad day. We have missed the historical opportunity to have a new constitution."
With nearly all votes counted Sunday evening, the reject, or "rechazo," campaign was leading the approve, or "apruebo," effort, 60% to 40%.
The proposed document would have replaced a charter imposed during the U.S.-backed dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet with what proponents called the "world's most progressive constitution," replete with extensive rights for Indigenous peoples, women, and the environment.
Gabriel Boric, Chile's recently inaugurated democratic socialist president, acknowledged in a Sunday evening address to the nation that "the Chilean people were not satisfied with the constitutional proposal that the convention produced."
Boric added that "Chile trusts in its democracy."
"I will do all I can to build a new constitutional itinerary alongside the Congress and the civil society that will give us a text that, collecting the learnings of the process, aims to achieve a big majority," he added.
"Apruebo" advocates said the fight for a more just constitution is not over.
"The fears, the lies, were stronger," human rights activist Trinidad Lathrop tweeted. "How powerful is the power of money. But we're going to make it. Give yourselves some time to lick your wounds and then we'll come back stronger. For all and all... we are going to get ahead."
Amnesty International Chile tweeted that "today is a sad day. We have missed the historical opportunity to have a new constitution."
"But although the result of the plebiscite was not as expected," the group added, "we will continue fighting more than ever to live in fairer, more egalitarian, and more humane Chile."
This content originally appeared on Common Dreams - Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community and was authored by Brett Wilkins.
Brett Wilkins | Radio Free (2022-09-05T06:09:33+00:00) ‘We’ll Come Back Stronger,’ Vows Chilean Left After Plebiscite Loss. Retrieved from https://www.radiofree.org/2022/09/05/well-come-back-stronger-vows-chilean-left-after-plebiscite-loss/
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