Chile makes new attempt at constitutional reform with new 50-member council

This Wednesday marked a significant step forward for Chile as the newly formed Constitutional Council, a 50-member body, was inaugurated.

The Council is tasked with presenting a new draft Constitution that will be subject to a plebiscite.

This represents a fresh attempt at constitutional reform after the rejection of the previous proposal from the 2021-2022 Constitutional Convention.

Chile’s President, Gabriel Boric, during the installation, said, “You are standing on the shoulders of giants, with a task entrusted to you by the people of Chile and its history.”

“You are to represent the citizenry in the formulation of a new constitutional text – a new Magna Carta, a fundamental law for our homeland.”

The President went on to explain that the formation of this Council is a sign of strength and unity. It demonstrates the nation’s capability of prioritizing the common good over individual interests.

He emphasized that Chile requires a constitution that provides long-term stability and can address the questions that the country has yet to ask.

Boric added, “In December, we will once again go to the polls to vote on your proposal. On that day, the citizens will again hold the power of popular sovereignty and decide the course of the constituent process. I firmly believe this will be beneficial for our country, marking the end of this cycle.”

Filmmaker and constitutional advisor Miguel Littin acted as the interim president of the body during its installation.

He proposed an agreement in his opening speech, “As we swear in, let us think of Chile and its people – the women, men, workers, middle-class, and peasants.

They trusted us with a mission: to craft a clear, transparent Constitution that we can all proudly defend and will serve as a compass for the future.”

Despite a minor setback when Aldo Sanhueza resigned due to a sexual abuse accusation before the Council’s inauguration, the Council proceeded with 50 members instead of the originally intended 51.

The Council also elected lawyer Beatriz Hevia as its president and Aldo Valle, the former rector of the University of Valparaiso, as vice president.

Hevia of the Republican Party noted, “The expert’s text is a draft and a starting point for the necessary conversations and debates. It is not an endpoint but rather the beginning of it becoming a consensus.”

From today, the 50 members will work on a draft prepared by a council of experts appointed by the National Congress.

The final text will undergo a mandatory plebiscite vote on December 17th.

This move follows the notable rejection of the first proposed Magna Carta during the September 2022 referendum, intended to replace the Fundamental Charter in effect since 1980, which established the neoliberal model in the southern nation.

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