Chileans vote to rewrite the Constitution

Chileans rejected Pinochet’s constitutional legacy.

The people of Chile, who have overwhelmingly rejected Pinochet’s constitutional legacy and will open a new chapter of democracy and equality.

According to official data by Chile's official electoral body, with nearly 90% of the vote counted, 78% percent of the voters rejected the current Constitution, while 22% percent chose to legitimize the current Constitution, which was supported by a majority of right-wing parties.

Chileans also overwhelmingly chose a constitutional convention as the method to create a new constitution. 

President Sebastian Piñera highlighted the massive participation in the elections and said that the process “demonstrated the democratic, participative, and peaceful nature of the spirit of the Chileans. The voice of all citizens has been heard loudly; the vote has had the same value.”

A mass anti-government protest movement began in Chile a year ago. From the beginning one of the demonstrators' key demands was that the country needed a new constitution to be able to fix deep inequalities in society.