[ad_1]
After counting the votes cast in a referendum on Sunday by around 95 percent of polling stations, supporters of the drafting of a new fundamental right came forward with about 80 percent. 14.8 million citizens of the South American country were summoned to decide whether the current constitution of 1980 – from the time of the military dictatorship of the right-wing General Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990) – should be replaced. This was one of the central demands of the protesters who took to the streets against the government for weeks about a year ago.
“Victory for democracy”
Conservative President Sebastián Piñera spoke after the closing of the polling stations at night (local time) in a speech of victory for democracy and unity. “So far, the constitution has divided us,” said the 70-year-old. In Plaza Italia in the capital Santiago, which many have called “Plaza de la Dignidad” since the protests, and in central squares in other cities, many people have already celebrated peacefully.
