Constitution

Analyzing The Defeat Of The Plebiscite In Chile

September 12, 2022 Gustavo A. Maranges, Resumen English. Educate! Chile, Constitution, Referendum

Just one week ago, people went to the polls in Chile for the historic constitutional referendum, where the social forces supporting the idea of a new constitution were swept away. The negative vote exceeded 61%, while the draft constitution go just a little more than 38%. Many may think such a result speaks for itself, but it goes deeper than that. Understanding what happened in Chile is not only an exercise for politicians and analysts, but an obligation for progressive movements throughout the region. Just the day before the vote, we analyzed the situation and concluded the new Constitution could pass. We based our analysis on two studies elaborated by two recognized teams, which contradicted all the opinion polls spread by Chile’s mainstream media.

Predictions On Chile’s Constitutional Referendum

September 3, 2022 Gustavo A. Maranges, Struggle La Lucha. Educate! Chile, Constitution, Media, Propaganda

Sept. 1 was the last day to campaign for the Constitutional referendum to be held on Sept. 4 in Chile. In this vote, Chileans will decide whether to approve the country’s new Constitution, closing over a decade of social struggles, whose final stage began with 2019 people’s massive protests in the subways and streets. The first step of this constitutional process was the entry (first) referendum, in which 78.28% of voters decided it was necessary to overrule the Pinochet Constitution from 1980. In only 72 hours, this process will end, but tension and uncertainty grow as time goes by. Many opinion polls point out that the Constitution won’t be passed. It has been something repeated to exhaustion. This prediction never withstood any analysis of the Chilean political context.

Chile’s New Constitution Will Empower Chilean Workers

August 22, 2022 Pablo Abufom, Progressive International. Create! Chile, Constitution, Democracy, Worker Rights and Jobs

The first step toward a new constitution in Chile is now complete. The draft of the new Magna Carta was officially delivered on May 16, paving the way for major changes in Chilean society, particularly in the areas of social rights, gender parity in political participation, and constitutional recognition of native peoples. In terms of social rights, the new constitution recognizes demands that have been a banner for popular struggles since Augusto Pinochet’s neoliberal counterrevolution in the 1970s. It guarantees access to health, housing, education, decent pensions, nonsexist education, and the right to abortion, all grouped under the concept of a “social and democratic state” that recognizes itself as plurinational, intercultural, and ecological.

Chile’s Draft Constitution: Undemocratic?

August 5, 2022 Ari Paul, Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting. Educate! Chile, Constitution, Democracy, Media

Chileans will vote in September on whether to approve a new constitution that promises to address inequality and lack of democracy (Reuters, 7/4/22). It would replace the present constitution imposed by the dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet, who came into power through a US-backed coup in 1973. The nation’s newly elected left-wing leadership is calling for a “yes” vote, although in the much-divided country, the constitution faces steep opposition from the right. US and Western editorialists are also pushing for a no vote. Opposition to the constitution’s economic changes should be expected; of course conservative and corporate centrist outlets will be against a proposed constitution that would make way for economic regulation and nationalization.

The Controversy Around Tunisian President’s Draft Constitution

July 24, 2022 People's Dispatch. Resistance Report Constitution, Democracy, Tunisia

On July 25, a national referendum will be held in Tunisia to vote on the draft of a new constitution being presented by President Kais Saied. The move has faced criticism from political players representing workers’ voices in Tunisia, with numerous parties calling for a boycott of the upcoming referendum. Why is the constitution facing such criticism? Fadil Aliriza, founder and editor-in-chief of Meshkal, answers this and more.

In Chile, We Have The Opportunity To Build An Economy To Overcome Fear

July 12, 2022 Gabriela Cabaña, Post Growth Perspectives. Create! Capitalism, Chile, Constitution, Transformation

Following the election of a progressive government in Chile earlier this year, the country has been debating a new constitution written under revolutionary conditions: by a convention with gender equality, representation of Indigenous peoples, and with many members from environmental justice movements. As the draft is finalized ahead of a referendum in September, social media across the country has been awash with ‘explainer’ posts and videos in favor of the new texts — and debunking misinformation telling people that their pensions will be expropriated, for example. Most of the pro-constitution posts boil down to a single line: no one is going to take your home away from you. The presence of such worries among the population can tell us a lot about political and economic change: When the time comes to transform revolutionary aspirations into legal infrastructure, we are touched at our core fears: what do we, the people of Chile, have to lose in this process of transformation?

Pakistan In The Midst Of A Full-Blown Constitutional Crisis

April 5, 2022 People's Dispatch. Educate! Constitution, Imran Khan, Pakistan, US Regime Change

Pakistan is in the middle of a full-blown constitutional crisis with each day bringing a fresh series of developments that increase the uncertainty surrounding the country’s future. Monday April 4, was a day of dramatic developments. The Supreme Court began hearing arguments on the constitutionality of the events of the previous 24 hours and is likely to arrive at a decision on Tuesday. On Sunday, the country’s National Assembly had met to vote on a no-trust motion against prime minister Imran Khan. However, in a surprise move, deputy speaker of the assembly Qasim Khan Suri dismissed the motion. Suri ruled that the motion was in violation of Article 5 of the country’s constitution which states that “Loyalty to the State is the basic duty of every citizen.”

Ten Post-9/11 Measures That Targeted Muslim Americans

September 11, 2021 Edward Ahmed Mitchell, CAIR. Educate! 9/11, Constitution, Muslim Americans, Racism

In the twenty years since September 11, 2001, our government has established dozens of laws, policies and programs ostensibly designed to prevent additional attacks on our nation. Some of those post-9/11 measures—such as increasing airport security and improving communication between federal agencies regarding potential threats—were reasonable, legal and successful in making us safer. But many other measures were as ineffective as they were unconstitutional. They undermined civil liberties, violated civil rights and harmed countless people—particularly Muslims in America—in the name of national security. Today, some of those programs have ended. Some of them persist.

Union Hopes High As Chileans Rewrite Anti-Labor Constitution

July 29, 2021 Yoel Bitran, Labor Notes. Create! Chile, Constitution, Unions, Worker Rights and Jobs

Many Americans have become accustomed to hearing that every presidential election is “the most important in a generation.” But for Chileans like myself, these words were undeniably true when describing our election on May 15 and 16. When we went to the polls that weekend, we did so not just to choose who would be our next mayors, governors, and councilpersons, but also to choose who would write the next constitution—from scratch. Following a November 2020 referendum in which 80 percent of voters supported a new constitution, 155 constitutional delegates were elected in May to design the legal and political framework for the country’s future. Independent candidates, mostly of the left and center-left, received almost one-third of the seats.

Towards A New Chilean Constitution

May 30, 2021 Barbara Fernández Melleda, Alborada. Organize! Chile, Constitution, Elections, Neoliberalism

A leaderless social movement gathering millions of people across Chile began in October 2019. After decades of protests over healthcare, pensions, education and other issues, these multiple demands converged as one general clamour for social justice and dignity. The referendum for the new constitution, one of the core objectives, would reveal that the status quo had lost legitimacy and that the Chilean people were demanding the re-foundation of the country. This meant dismantling the legacy of the Pinochet regime which benefited a handful of people who today own companies that once belonged to the Chilean State. These were privatised very quickly and cheaply during the dictatorship.Con

Chile: Left, Independent Forces Win Majority Of Constituents

May 17, 2021 Telesur English. Create! Chile, Constitution, Elections, Left Politics

While the nationwide results for governors, mayors and councilors will not be known until later Sunday night, and final results may not be known for another week, the vote for Chile's constitutional convention has been tallied and announced this Sunday night. In a surprise for Chile's left and independent parties, the center-left Apruebo list has received 24 seats while the left-wing Communist-Broad Front Apruebo Dignidad list has finished in second with 28 seats. With three milion votes counted, representing just 15% of the registered electorate, the Nueva Constitución list has received 9 seats whereas the Del Pueblo list has received 21. 17 of the 155 seats have been reserved for indigenous people and 15 other seats have been won by a mix of other independent parties.

Revolutionary Workers Mount Election Campaign In Chile

March 8, 2021 Left Voice. Organize! Chile, Constitution, Elections, Left Politics

On April 11, Chile will elect a convention to write a new constitution, which will replace the constitution of 1980, written by the far-right dictator Augusto Pinochet. Left Voice spoke with two candidates running to join the Constitutional Convention, Joseffe Cáceres and Daniel Vargas, both from the Revolutionary Workers’ Party (PTR). Joseffe Cáceres is a leader of the union of cleaning workers at the Metropolitan University of Educational Sciences near Santiago. She is a member of the national leadership of the PTR and a spokesperson of the women’s group Pan y Rosas (Bread and Roses). She is a candidate in one of the districts on the periphery of Santiago made up of slums. She is 33 years old and a mother. She joined the PTR when she was a young hip-hop activist. Daniel Vargas is a lawyer who, during Chile’s October 2019 rebellion, became well known for defending people who had been arrested.

Haiti: Danny Shaw Reports On The Serious Political And Social Crisis

February 23, 2021 Danny Shaw, Council on Hemispheric Affairs. Resist! Constitution, Haiti, Media, US Regime Change

COHA’s Senior Research Fellow, professor Danny Shaw, opens a window to the mass movement in Haiti which is demanding President Jovenel Moïse step down and cease rule by decree. Demonstrators are also calling for the release of political prisoners, the restoration of the Supreme Court justices, Police Inspector General and other opposition figures who have been fired, and an end to U.S., United Nations and the Organization of American States (OAS) intervention on behalf of foreign interests in their country. A broad convergence of opposition parties and social movements maintain that Moïse’s term in office ended on February 7, 2021, while Moïse argues his mandate continues for another year and seeks to hold a referendum on a new constitution this April.

Driver Lawsuit Says Uber And Lyft’s Proposition 22 Is Unconstitutional

January 12, 2021 Dara Kerr, CNet. Resist! California, Constitution, Uber, Worker Rights

A trio of ride-hail drivers filed a lawsuit in California's Supreme Court on Tuesday alleging Proposition 22 is unconstitutional. The proposition was voted into law by California residents in November and ensures gig workers in the state are classified as independent contractors, rather than employees. Proposition 22 was authored by gig economy companies, including Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Instacart, which spent more than $205 million to get the ballot measure passed. It exempts the companies from a state law requiring that they treat their workers as employees. The proposition has only been in effect for one month and already it's facing challenges.

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