Chile votes out new ambitious constitution including rights of nature and animals

On September 4, 2022, Chileans voted to reject a new constitution that had been hailed for enshrining rights for women, indigenous groups, nature, environment and water. Chile’s socialist, left-leaning President Gabriel Boric, also Chile’s youngest president, had staked a lot for getting the new proposed constitution to replace the old one,
Voting in the referendum was mandatory! 62% of the vote went to the ‘Reject’ camp while the ‘Approve’ camp won 38% of the vote. Journalist John Bartlett of The Guardian and New York Times tweeted that “only 6 of Chile’s 346 electoral districts voted in favour of the new constitution.”

On March 25, 2022, the plenary body of Chile’s Constitutional Convention had formally approved the Rights of Nature within its proposed constitutional text. UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Environment, David R Boyd noted that the draft Chilean Constitution was very progressive — environmentally, economically and socially.
However, Chilean voters rejected the 170-page proposal that would have legalized abortion, mandated universal health care, required gender parity in government, given Indigenous groups greater autonomy, empowered labor unions, strengthened regulations on mining and granted rights to nature and animals. In total, it would have enshrined over 100 rights into Chile’s national charter. The proposal also included commitments to fight climate change and protect Chileans’ right to choose their own identity. The steeply leftist and ambitious proposal seems to have turned off many Chileans, including those who previously had voted to replace the current text. There was widespread uncertainty about its implications and cost.
President Boric has accepted the result of the referendum and held a meeting on September 5 morning in the Presidential Palace.

Down to Earth is Science and Environment fortnightly published by the Society for Environmental Communication, New Delhi. We publish news and analysis on issues that deal with sustainable development, which we scan through the eyes of science and environment.

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