Chileans Reject Proposed Conservative Constitution, Paving Way for Reform Efforts

Chileans living abroad, including in Utah, participated in the nation's plebiscite on a proposed new constitution. The current constitution, drafted during the regime of former dictator Augusto Pinochet, has been a subject of intense debate since 2019 protests. Last year, a left-leaning proposed constitution was rejected, and the new proposal, drafted by right-leaning officials, was also headed towards defeat. Despite being far from Chile, expatriates felt it was their civic duty to vote and expressed concerns about crime, immigration, stability, environmental protection, and abortion rights. Over 127,000 Chileans living outside the country were eligible to vote, with Sandy being one of the remote voting sites in the United States.