Chile: Boric does not give up and calls for a new "constituent itinerary" in the face of the overwhelming rejection of the new Constitution

With almost 62% of the votes "against" the proposal for a new Constitution, the majority of Chileans rejected the proposed text that would turn Chile into a "plurinational, intercultural, regional and ecological" state. The result maintains, for the time being, the current constitution, drafted in 1980 and reformed several times throughout the country´s democracy.

The option to approve the new text garnered only 38% of support and supported mainly by voters living abroad. The Chilean Electoral Service (SERVEL) stated that with more than 99% of the votes counted and 85% participation from the electorate, in the 16 regions of the country, the option to reject was supported by more than 50% of the votes.

Boric does not give up

President Gabriel Boric, a faithful supporter of constitutional change, has not given up his attempt to change the text and acknowledged in a national broadcast that he will work hand in hand with civil society and Congress to create a new "constituent itinerary":

At a press conference, the president also hinted at new changes and reforms in his cabinet: "facing these important and urgent challenges will require prompt adjustments within our teams to face this new period with renewed vigor."

The Chilean opposition supports the rejection of the new text. José Antonio Kast, who in 2020 lost the second round to Boric, was one of the great promoters of the "rechazo." Kast commented that in his opinion "the process failed." He specifically addressed the head of state, pointing out his defeat:"President Boric, this defeat is also your defeat."

International reactions

Among the first international reactions was one from Gustavo Petro, the president of Colombia, who lamented the result on his Twitter account with a controversial message: "Pinochet has revived" and added "only if the democratic and social forces unite, will it be possible to leave behind a past that stains all of Latin America and open the democratic avenues."

This message did not go over well with some Chileans, many accusing the Colombian president of getting involved in the country's internal politics. The country's former Foreign Minister and former Minister of Culture, Roberto Ampuero, affirmed that Petro's message defies the democratic decision of Chileans and questioned what the Colombian president said, asking him to "respect Chile."

Ampuero's reaction was not the only one to come out of Chile. Former Justice Minister during Michelle Bachelet's administration, Isidro Solis, also criticized Petro's tweet. "When an option wins with 60% normally a democrat understands that a people have spoken clearly." It is "a clumsiness unbecoming of a president," he said in an interview with Semana.