Constitutional Plebiscite 2023: Speech by President Gabriel Boric
President Gabriel Boric of Chile speaks following results of the #PlebiscitoConstitucional2023
“Compatriots, as usual, we have had an exemplary election day that has been peaceful and efficient. Chile can once again be proud of its institutions. I want to thank the electoral service, the armed forces personnel who safeguarded the polling places, especially the polling station officials, representatives, and all those who made today’s plebiscite orderly and calm.
Of course, the main protagonists are the people of Chile who once again went to the polls peacefully, orderly, and reaffirmed their commitment to democracy. Popular sovereignty has clearly expressed its will, and the majority voted against the proposed constitutional text. With this, I want to be clear: During our term, the constitutional process comes to a close.
There are other urgencies; it is time to acknowledge the result, to those who supported the option against, but without forgetting, and this is important, that a significant part of those who voted chose the option in favor.
We cannot make the same mistake as in previous plebiscites. The country is made up of all of us, and those who succeed in an election cannot ignore or disregard those who are temporarily defeated.
Our country will continue with the current constitution because, after two constitutional proposals and plebiscites, none managed to represent and unite Chile in its beautiful diversity. The country became polarized, divided, and regardless of this decisive result, the constitutional process failed to channel the hopes of having a new constitution drafted for everyone.
Politics is indebted to the people of Chile, and this debt must be paid. The solutions that Chileans demand and expect us to achieve are clear. I have no doubt that what the citizens demand today is greater capacity for dialogue, consensus, but above all, action, resolution, abandoning the trenches and the imposition of partial views to concentrate on solving the most pressing problems that Chileans face in their daily lives, causing legitimate discontent present in our people that we cannot ignore.
I want to speak to the workers of the nation who rise early to earn a living, to the entrepreneurial women who often, without support, have had to shoulder the burden alone but strong for their entire family, to the young people who believe in building a better world but do not find the necessary opportunities, to the elderly who have built Chile and today do not have the recognition they deserve.
To you, compatriots, we owe it to ourselves. The government’s actions and efforts, as demonstrated throughout this year, will now intensify. The Constituent process was meant to bring hope and, in the end, it has generated frustration and concern in a significant part of the population. And we cannot ignore that.
Politics is, as it should be, essential, and this result must have an immediate effect: to focus the work of everyone on producing the agreements and solutions that Chile needs in social, economic, and security matters, without further delays or excuses. Because we are a beautiful country with tremendous potential that we cannot afford to waste.
This has been a process where legitimate differences were not always expressed constructively, and, for one reason or another, consensus was prevented. In the text, attempts were made to convince voters with fear campaigns, and some even tried to turn this election into a referendum on the government. However, what the citizens have indicated is a cross-cutting message that this form of politics does not represent them.
So, the result of this plebiscite, more than a celebration, is a strong wake-up call. If those with the circumstantial majority take refuge in their trenches and try to deny the existence of others, we will never be able to build agreements to progress in matters that cannot continue to wait.
Compatriots, the nation is not reinvented overnight. To do things right, we must respect each other and come together again as Chileans. That’s why I say with great conviction: no celebration, no arrogance, let’s place the ball on the ground, embrace humility, and hard work. A lot of work.
As President of the Republic, I have instructed my cabinet to resume the legislative process for pension reform and the fiscal pact for fairer wealth growth. We will redouble efforts in managing security in all its dimensions, to win the battle against crime, drug trafficking, and organized crime, to level the playing field between men and women, and to ensure that the advances women have achieved over years of effort and struggle are never reversed.
And to deploy with special intensity to make access to what should be equal rights for all: Health, housing, education, and pensions more dignified, timely, and of quality. These are the priorities of Chileans, and therefore, they are also my priorities and the government’s priorities. I hope they are the priorities of all political sectors in general, because that is what society demands of us.
In particular, regarding pensions, we can no longer wait. Those who have worked their entire lives do not deserve, due to political disagreements, to go more than 10 years without being able to agree, resulting in all those workers who have toiled throughout their lives not being able to have a dignified pension to live on.
Our proposal is on the table, and as you know, as a government, we have been open to compromising on various aspects of our original proposal, with the aim of reaching agreements to move forward. The closure of the constitutional process should create a better atmosphere for this understanding, and I call on all political forces to this.
But today, without further delay, to finance this reform responsibly and sustainably over time, we need a fiscal pact that also includes, of course, growth because Chile, in 2024, will grow, will take off. A fiscal pact is an agreement to grow, to collect more fairly, making those who have more contribute more, an agreement to be relentless by lifting banking secrecy for those who use tricks to evade their tax obligations, with those who evade tax payments, avoiding defrauding the possibilities of greater well-being for millions of compatriots.
We must also be relentless in combating corruption, regardless of its origin, and I have no doubt about that. Today, I speak to every compatriot, to those who have accompanied the Constituent process from its beginnings with enthusiasm and those who have done so from skepticism, to those who voted today for the majority option, and also to those who expected a different result.
Chile is all of us, and no one is left out here. I reiterate that our country has enormous opportunities for the future and great strengths. Our economy, as recognized worldwide, has the potential to make us a world leader for the challenges of green development, combating the climate crisis.
Our institutions, despite their flaws, have been able to channel an intense process of debates and tensions without interrupting their democratic strength. And that, in a convulsed world, is not obvious, and we should not take it for granted.
Let’s be proud of our democracy, rely on this strength, and trust in it because it will take us far if we achieve agreements with these solid foundations.
Therefore, from the unity that constitutes us as a nation, from our legitimate differences that are an essential wealth of our homeland, I invite you to build together a new stage for Chile, of growth for all, of social justice, of public safety.
Let’s meet in the great task of forging coexistence where dialogue prevails over intransigence, hope prevails over pessimism, trust prevails over fear, solidarity prevails over selfishness, and unity prevails over division.
Let’s work thinking about the greater good of Chile, and when we unite behind that purpose of putting Chile and its inhabitants first, we always achieve good things, always manage to move forward better. The nation needs all of us. Thank you very much, and long live our beautiful Chile,” President Gabriel Boric.
See Also,
Chile Votes on a New Constitutional Proposal
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