Marcelo Montecinos
SANTIAGO – Andres Allamand, the Minister of Foreign Relations, announced that 113 voting stations have been set up in 65 countries in order to allow 59,522 Chileans living abroad to vote on the new constitution this Sunday.
All social distancing precautions are being strictly enforced at each voting station.
What is this all about?
If you are confused about what, exactly, all the hoopla is about, you are not alone.
Most Chileans don’t really understand it either, even though 83% of those that plan on voting have already indicated that they would vote for the “I Approve” option, according to a survey done by Activa Research.
Most also don’t know that there will be another related plebiscite in 2021.
1980: Because I said so…
Let’s go back to 1980: The Pinochet dictatorship decided on a new constitution that would allow the right-wing to vote on any new, or existing, law changes, thereby limiting whatever government is in charge to do so without restrictions. The rules in the new 1980 constitution where very simple; No one can question our new laws, in other words, “because I said so”.
In October of 2020, demonstrators took to the streets demanding a Chile where the lower and middle class could have a say in issues that affected their daily lives, like decent free education, health system, a decent pension system, the right to live in a non-contaminated environment, the original-settler issue of the Mapuches, sustainable development regardless of the government in power, that individuals and companies pay taxes based on their earnings and proper accountability of how this money is spent, and a proper definition of “person” which would allow for a woman to decide the abortion issue for herself.
The idea of a democracy where all citizens are created equal went Orwellian in 1980 where “some citizens are more equal than others”
The difference between Liberty and Rights became questionable.
An example of this is the current educational system: Liberty allows one to choose whether my child goes to a public or private school, but I cannot demand the Right to a decent education of same. So if I don’t have the money to send my child to a private school, his education will not be as good as one in a private school.
It begs the question: Of what good is this liberty?
“We will have to diminish our privileges and share them with others.”
Cecilia Morel, President Piñera’s wife, said it all when she uttered these words to her friend in a leaked private conversation. She was also quoted as saying “It’s an alien invasion. We don’t have the means to fight it…we are absolutely overwhelmed.”
Chileans living in Chile and abroad are voting for their futures this Sunday. I hope their voice is heard, regardless of the voting outcome. They want the possibility of eating cake to be a real one for all.
