Chilean Protesters Call for “Constitutional Assembly or Nothing”

Chile’s current constitution dates back to the reign of dictator Augusto Pinochet. (Wikimedia)

In response to protests, Chilean Interior Minister Gonzalo Blumel announced on November 10 that the government will write a new constitution, upon which the public will vote in a referendum.

This announcement did not satisfy the protesters, who have been demonstrating for more than four weeks. What began as a cry against growing inequality and alleged rights abuses has become a demand for greater political and social freedoms not guaranteed by the current constitution.

Chile’s constitution dates back to the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, who ruled the country from 1973 to 1990. The constitution, which has been hailed by opponents of the protests as a “pillar of the country’s economic and political stability,” created a market-driven economy that privatized pensions, healthcare, and education, according to Al Jazeera. Although it has been amended several times, the document has been unchanged for the last thirty years.

Chileans are intent on participating in the rewrite. Many feel that the government is reluctant to enact real reform, as the task of writing the new constitution has been assigned to Congress, and the people have not been asked for input.

According to Al Jazeera, polls show that 87 percent of Chileans support drafting a new constitution, while President Sebastian Piñera’s approval rating is below 15 percent.

One protester, Yerko Salvador, who has been protesting with his family every day since the beginning, called the possible changes “superficial.” He explained that he does not believe there will be a major overhaul of the existing document, and that the “whole political class benefits from the constitution of the 80s.”

Also, a hashtag on Twitter, “constitutional assembly or nothing,” began trending.

The Communist Party, in opposition to the current government and in support of a constitutional assembly, called Chile’s current constitution “an illegitimate text and source of the concentration of economic power and abuse.” It warned that citizens would not “validate a constitution emanating from Congress.”

Recent protests have also caused a drop in Chile’s stock market. Financial Times reports that Chile’s S&P Ipsa benchmark index ended 1.5 percent lower the day after the government’s announcement.

According to Bloomberg, the value of the Chilean peso plunged to a record low two days after the Sunday announcement, which forced the central bank to offer 4 billion USD of 30-day and 90-day currency swaps to “ease liquidity in both the peso and the dollar.” This new measure will continue until January 9. Despite the 6 percent peso slump, the current trade-weighted index of 85 is still much stronger than the country’s levels in 2009 and 2002.

Protests continue in Chile. More than 200,000 citizens have rallied in cities across the country, according to the Newcastle Herald. Approximately 100 unions and social organizations representing teachers, students, miners, doctors, and flight crews have joined the fight by calling for strikes and marches.

More than 20 people have died since the start of the unrest, which has also caused property damage and an increase in crime. Protesters have accused police of using excessive force while businesses have suffered billions of dollars in losses due to looting, vandalism, and arson.