Politics is usually a taboo topic when you meet new people, but the people of Chile have opinions with a capital O. Political involvement has been a large part of Chilean identity and even more so now as a new constitution is being put up for a vote. The original constitution was put in place during the time of Pinochet, who led a military junta in the 70s and 80s in Chile. This time saw a lot of tragedy – many people, especially young students, were tortured and killed. The Museum of Memory, near the metro station Quinta Normal, is dedicated to preserving the memory of that time so that it never happens again. Because of the context under which this constitution was put in place, many consider it illegitimate. This is one of many reasons why Chile is seeking to create a new constitution at this time. As of July 4, the new constitution has been finalized and will be voted on in a mandatory referendum on September 4. There is a wide variety of thought on the document. Those supporting the new constitution promote its new modern policies that have been updated from an illegitimate document. Those against it say that it tears away the essence of Chile; the document recognizes Chile as plurinational, made up of many indigenous groups and ethnicities, which is in contrast to the previously taught ideal of a singular national Chilean identity. The way that individuals lean depends on social class, education, and locale. I’ve spoken about this topic primarily with individuals associated with universities: a Mapuche professor on the Villarrica campus of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, university students in Coquimbo, students in Santiago, etc. Most of these individuals had very similar thoughts on this process; while this constitution is not perfect, change is required and we should support it. As there is no clear process set for drafting another constitution if this one is rejected, this most likely means voting in favor of the new constitution even though Boric (the current president) has said that he will work to promote another draft constitution if this one is rejected. I’m interested to see how things will unfold coming closer to the referendum and the aftermath of the results. Read the constitution here: https://www.gob.cl/chilevotainformado/
