Chilean Constitution of 1980 facts for kids

The Political Constitution of the Republic of Chile of 1980 is the most important law in Chile. Think of it as the rulebook for how the country is run. It was created and put into action when the military was in charge, led by Augusto Pinochet. People voted on it in a special vote called a referendum on September 11, 1980. However, this vote had some problems and wasn't completely fair.

The Constitution started working fully on March 11, 1990. This was when Chile became a democracy again, meaning people could elect their leaders. Since then, the Constitution has been changed many times. For example, in 2005, under President Ricardo Lagos, some parts that gave the military too much power were removed. Also, special senators who served for life or were appointed were taken out.

More recently, in November 2019, after many protests, political parties agreed to ask people if they wanted a new Constitution. In a vote on October 25, 2020, people said "yes" to writing a new main law. They also voted to choose people for a special group called the Constitutional Convention. This group met in July 2021 to write the new Constitution. However, in September 2022, people voted again and decided not to accept the new Constitution.

Why Some Questioned the 1980 Constitution

Some people, like law professor Camel Cazor Aliste, have said that the 1980 Constitution had problems with how it was created.

How the Constitution Was Written

The group that wrote the Constitution was not chosen by the people. Its members were picked by the military government. People who disagreed with the government were not allowed to be part of this group.

The 1980 Vote Was Not Fair

The vote in 1980 to approve the Constitution was also seen as unfair. The government encouraged people to vote "yes" using radio and TV. But those who wanted people to vote "no" had very limited ways to share their message. They could only hold small public gatherings.

Also, there was no official list of voters for this vote. This meant it was hard to make sure everyone voted only once. There were even reports of people voting multiple times.

Changes Over Time

Since Chile became a democracy again, the 1980 Constitution has been changed almost 20 times. These changes were made to fix some of the original problems. For example, some people felt the Constitution was designed to help right-wing groups win elections. Many changes have been made since 1989 to address these concerns.

Attempts to Replace the Constitution

In 2022, a new Constitution was proposed. This new version was discussed across the country. It had the support of the current President, Gabriel Boric. However, in a vote on September 5, 2022, the people of Chile decided to reject this new Constitution.

See also

In Spanish: Constitución Política de la República de Chile de 1980 para niños

• Chilean transition to democracy
• 2021 Chilean Constitutional Convention election
• Constitutionalism