The issue is whether Chileans will live in a repressive political structure and exploitative economic model installed by a dictatorship decades ago, or whether they will choose to start a new and egalitarian chapter in the history of Chile.
The draft shifts Chile away from the existing Pinochet-era document, enshrining cultural rights and laying out a path of autonomy for Indigenous peoples
Elected on the heels of a historic movement against neoliberalism, president-elect Gabriel Boric will face high expectations and social movement pressure to deliver on his campaign promises.
New York State's constitution mandates that every 20 years a referendum be held on whether to hold a constitutional convention. Some government reform groups are advocating a "yes" vote, but so too are right-wing groups that want to eliminate worker rights and social service protections. Unions are therefore urging a "no" vote this November, just as they did in 1997.
Their goal appears to be to put into the Constitution specific prohibitions against any programs (from Social Security to Medicare to food stamps) that they've always viewed as "unconstitutional socialism," and to permanently enshrine in the Constitution the "right" of corporations and billionaires to own politicians and spend unlimited monies to influence elections and ballot measures. I
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