In Chile, the Rejection of a New Constitution Won't Put the Issue to Rest

In Chile, the rejection of the constitutional rewrite will likely increase civil unrest and spur further efforts to implement constitutional changes, leading businesses in the extractive industry sector to take a wait-and-see approach in making large financial decisions. On Sept. 4, Chilean voters overwhelmingly rejected the 2021-2022 constitutional rewrite, with 62% voting to reject and only 38% voting to approve in an election that saw nearly 86% turnout of eligible voters, an unexpectedly high level. Leftist Chilean President Gabriel Boric accepted the result -- which saw an even larger margin of defeat than polling had suggested -- while also calling for a dialogue with centrist and right-wing parties to develop a new constitutional proposal that would better unite the country. ...