Plebiscite in Chile: beaten by defeat, Gabriel Boric renews the course of his government

The “next day” has arrived. There are no more doubts. The Chileans were very clear at the polls. They shouted “No” to the government of Gabriel Boric, who defended until the end – albeit with reservations – the text of the new Constitution which this Sunday was presented to a historic plebiscite.

The resounding 61% who rejected him – against the 38% who said yes – marks an inevitable path for the president who came to power six months ago with promises of change, democratization and renewal, but who is losing popularity due to the various conflicts in the country.

Boric anticipated this on Sunday evening, when he announced from the Palacio de la Moneda that he would be leaving this Monday contacts with all political forces to advance in a new constituent process which this time has the consent of the whole – or at least of an important majority – of society.

Despite the decisive rejection of the text subjected to plebiscite, an enormous majority of Chilean society has a conviction: a new Constitution is needed to replace the one of 1980, a legacy of the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet still in force and, for many, is the origin of profound social, economic and political inequalities that the country has been dragging on for decades.

But it is clear: the result of a year of debates led by a Constituent Assembly composed mostly of social sectors extraneous to traditional politics, with gender equality and strong indigenous representation, has failed to translate the claims that society has made feel in the popular uprising of 2019.

The president’s message

At the end of a counting of votes that lasted just over two hours, and when the figures reproduced simultaneously by all the country’s media showed an advantage of Rejection much broader than announced by pollsBoric has anticipated to the country the new route that his government will take now.

As he had anticipated weeks ago, he immediately committed to promoting a new constitutive process that will remain in the hands of Congress.

“The Chilean people were not satisfied with the proposed Constitution that the Convention presented to Chile and, therefore, decided to clearly reject it at the polls,” said the 36-year-old president.

And he called all political forces to dialogue to leave behind “maximalism, violence and intolerance”.

“We must be self-critical of what we have done”, admitted the youngest president in the history of Chile. And he promised to “build, together with Congress and civil society, a new constitutive itinerary that gives us a text that, by gathering the lessons learned from the process, is able to interpret it to a large majority of citizens “.

unknown

There are many certainties here but even more unknowns. It is clear that Boric will have to show a firm will to do so redefining your path. He has already announced that he will make reforms in his cabinet and that he will meet with leaders across the political spectrum to start a new process of dialogue.

Analysts, opposition politicians and society as a whole now we await concrete measures and names.

The attention, on the first of this Monday that was cold in Santiago but announced a midday with 30 degrees, was in the opening of the markets and in the meetings and possible announcements that were made by the Congress or by the Palacio de la Moneda.

A few minutes before 8 am, the president arrived at the Government House and greeted him with a smile but without saying a word. The day promises to be intense.

Having buried the Constitution that was finalized in July, it will be necessary to return to more traditional tracks. This time, Boric has already made clear, Congress will be the main protagonist in drafting a new text.

The future Constitution It will be a joint effort between the Executive and Legislativewhich is mainly composed of the center-right and center-left blocs that have alternated in power since the return of democracy in 1990.

The government, a coalition of left and center-left parties, perhaps You have to show your more moderate sideas various analysts have explained Clarione.

Boric will have to change his name to get a more homogeneous teambut at the same time listen to all the voices that are willing to join this political pact that many here consider inevitable.

Santiago, special correspondent