After 10 months of fraught negotiations,has finalised the draft of a new constitution that could replace the document drawn up during Gen Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship.
The constitution will be put to a referendum on 4 September in which all Chileans aged 18 or older must vote. “With every bill that passed, we have provided answers to the demands of the 2019 demonstrations, such as better healthcare, education and pensions,” Quinteros said. “We have made our demands visible on a national level, and so never again will we be excluded from the conversation,” she said.
The process was designed around participation, with citizens able to endorse articles and debate legislation at assemblies the length of Chile. It omits certain rights, such as the right to housing, and focuses on securing the legacy of the military regime as well as a market-led model for the provision of social services.