President Gabriel Boric greets interim President Miguel Littin during the inauguration ceremony of the Constitutional Council at the seat of Congress in Santiago, Chile. Sofia Yanjari
The differences between the first and second Chilean trials to bury the constitution inherited from the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet were exaggerated this Wednesday at the Santiago Congress headquarters. The contrasts were evident in form and content. The 2021 ceremony that saw the Constituent Convention take office began amid great anticipation from citizens steeped in epic, symbolism and protest. The frenzy of this inaugural event had moments of peak tension: authorities were forced to temporarily suspend it after a group of voters interrupted the singing of the national anthem, claiming that police were repressing protesters on the outskirts of the venue. However, this morning, with almost no audience outside, the ceremony passed quickly, soberly and without unleashing passion.
The 50 members of the Constitutional Council arrived early that morning dressed formally – most of them with ties; I brought you two pieces – with an attitude similar to that of someone who starts a new job and doesn’t want to be too conspicuous so as not to make mistakes. Even the first applause was tentative. The whirlwind emanated from the members of the expert commission, who spent almost three months writing the draft that will serve as a basis for voters: they hugged lovingly, took selfies and laughed lightly, with the freedom of one carrying out a daunting task. In any case, the group will continue to be involved in the process, but only with the right to speak, albeit with a very influential voice.
President Beatriz Hevia with Carlos Recordo at the inauguration ceremony of the Cristobal Venegas Constitutional Council
Unlike the opening ceremony on July 4, 2021, where there were no government agencies, President Gabriel Boric participated in the event with a moderate and welcoming speech, urging voters to seek agreement. The emotional quota was set by filmmaker Miguel Littin, who, as the oldest advisor (80 years old), acted as the acting chair of the organ. The socialist representative broke the formality by raising his arm “for peace and harmony.” “When we swear, we think of Chile. Think of women, men, farmers, workers, the middle class. “In the people who trusted us,” he said. And he remembered the words he heard on the street: “Write a constitution that loves her, makes her mine and defends her.” And that it serves as a navigational map for the future.” In the end, rose up Representatives of all political persuasions to applaud him.
The box on the second floor was reserved for the guests of the city councillors. On the Republican side, two women with light blue anti-abortion scarves on their fists led one of them into the chamber with a slogan that read, “Let’s both save lives,” referring to the lives of mother and child. Three representatives of the conservative formation, including the constitutional lawyer Luis Silva, pulled out their mobile phones to take photos of them.
One of the main contrasts to the first experience is the organ leader. The first elected an indigenous Mapuche woman as president, 58-year-old doctor and academic Elisa Loncon, born in a modest community in La Araucanía. He won the post after two rounds of voting with the support of indigenous voters, left-wing parties and the anti-capitalist independents. They were the vast majority. In his speech, Loncon assured that the text they would write would “transform Chile into a plurinational, intercultural country”. On that occasion, immediate triumph went to Beatriz Hevia, a 30-year-old lawyer and representative of the far-right Republican Party, the main political force on the council. Hevia, daughter of the former director of the Osorno Agricultural and Livestock Society, in the livestock district of southern Chile, called for dialogue and warned that the country faces a deep moral, economic, political and social crisis.
The new President of the Constituent Council, Beatriz Hevia (middle), during the ceremony. Sofia Yanjari
When first attempted, the body consisted of 155 members, the majority of whom were independent from outside the political world and whose careers were shaped by social and identity-related concerns. In addition, 17 seats were reserved for the 10 original nations. They all sat down at the table to discuss a blank sheet of paper. After the failure of their proposal, which was rejected by 62% of Chileans last September, parliamentarians established a set of legal frameworks and left little room for outsiders to enter politics. The Constituent Council consists mainly of militants and only one representative was elected from the lists of indigenous people. The new rules set the tone of the traditional ceremony.
When he left scenes of protesters throwing rocks in front of Congress, attacks on voters in the street, feminists taking their proposals to Congress leaders, and several historic demands of the convention at the marathon opening ceremony of the first trial in 2021 of adoption and voting, then this is the case Wednesday 7th made little noise. The most disruptive part of the day was when it came time to take office, as some councilors added who or what they accepted. The strongest came from Republican Héctor Urban, a farmer who was the victim of attacks: “For the victims of rural violence in the southern macro-zone, I accept.” Others mentioned the territories that voted for them and some mentioned God.
Ceremony of the inauguration of the Constitutional CouncilCristobal Venegas
Subscribe to the EL PAÍS America newsletter here and receive the latest news from the region