LIVE FROM SANTIAGO - 3PM ET - Report on the Historic Constitutional Plebiscite

[Donkees]

Scheduled for Sep 4, 2022

Join us live on Sunday 4 September as we report on the historic constitutional plebiscite, which could re-found Chile as a feminist, ecological, and plurinational Republic.

[peppertree]

1. Thanks for posting this. It doesn't look too good for the pro-reform forces.

They may still pull off an upset - much like President Boric's election itself.

But Chile's right-wing dominated press has been scaring the voters non-stop with implied threats of 'making the economy scream' if they don't get their way.

We'll see.

[Donkees]

2. ''no matter who wins, coalitions on both sides have committed to make changes ... ''

After the plebiscite, no matter who wins, coalitions on both sides have committed to make changes either to the new or the current constitution.

“After September 4, the constitutional process will … either put the new constitution in place or to look at new alternatives if it is not adopted,” said Dávila, the assistant professor at the Universidad de Chile.

In any case, she added, Chile is poised to set a precedent in Latin America: If the new constitution is adopted, it can be an example of a constitutional change that strengthens democracy in terms of social rights and environment; if rejected, it will show that the path to follow is dialogue within democracy.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/01/americas/chile-referendum-vote-new-constitution-intl-latam/index.html

[peppertree]

3. Sounds like the right-wing two-step

Whenever there's some deeply unpopular institution that faces the likelihood of reform, Latin America's right-wing is very good at "joining calls" for reform - then sabotaging any attempt at said reform, every step of the way.

"Well. We do want reform - but not that reform."

They can do this because in Latin America, most Big Media is conservative-dominated.

In most of these countries, the leading newspapers were founded by landed elites - and most online and cable news outfits emerged, in one way or another, from said newspapers.

Any left-wing media, moreover, has usually been drowned in the bathtub before it could grow to something that could rival them - be it by regulatory and/or judicial abuse, or (in the past) by bloodier means.

That said, we'll see. This could be an upset in the making alright.

Thanks again for keeping up with this. Have a great Sunday.

[peppertree]

4. Sorry to have to report that's the new constitution has been defeated

With 48% of the vote in, it's behind by 25% (62.5/37.5).

It's lagging in all of the country's regions (even the capital, where approval was strongest), and the gap is just too wide to surmount.

Qué pena.