Boric calls for unity ahead of referendum on Chile’s new constitution

The president of Chile, Gabriel Boric, has called for unity before the referendum on the new Chilean Constitution, after this Saturday’s polls reflected a majority rejection to the draft of the Magna Carta.

“It is in the unity of Chile comes out the best of Chileans and Chileans and the best of our homeland”, has asserted Boric, on the day of the commemoration of the birth of Bernardo O’Higgins, one of the fathers of the homeland of Chile, for his participation in the independence from the Spanish Empire.

Thus, the Chilean president has once again called to work with the united institutions because “Chile is one”, according to statements collected by the Biobio radio station.

“How nice to be able to say that we are proud to be Chileans and that we are going to defend our traditions, the Chileanness. We are also going to defend -because it is important to repeat it ad nauseam- the unity of our homeland. That commitment to work tirelessly for the homeland, for the unity of the homeland, is something that in these moments when there is division we have to rescue”, he said in a speech to the attendees of the celebration.

A Pulso Ciudadano poll, published late on Friday, has shown that a majority of Chileans oppose the changes reflected in the draft of the new Constitution. Some 45.8% of those polled plan to vote on September 4 against the Charter. Only 32.9% have assured that they will support the Constitution, while 15.7% are undecided.

The new Constitution was drafted in response to mass protests in 2019-2020 against inequality and poor public services.