[ARCHIVO] President Bachelet: “You’ll have a chance to discuss what kind of Constitution you want”

This Saturday, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet visited the municipality of San Miguel, where she met with residents before they began their own “Self-Organized Local Encounter”. These Encounters are intended to bring together the voices that make up the nation’s diverse identity.

At the meeting, which was held at the headquarters of Neighborhood Council Nº 50, the President stated, “what you are doing is something historic. All of you will have the chance to discuss what kind of Constitution you want, what kind we want to have in Chile”.

She added, “Your opinions are going to be taken into account, they are going to have an impact on the legislation I will be sending [to Congress] when we have completed the entire process, which has begun at the community, provincial and regional levels”.

As part of Chile’s official Constitutional Process, these Self-Organized Local Encounters are open to all Chileans 14 years of age and over, as well as permanent residents and Chileans living abroad who possess a Chilean identity card.

The President also used the occasion to “invite all women and men to participate, so they can be part of this historic process, in which our fellow Chileans will discuss and talk about the kind of country we want to live in”.

The President called upon the people of Chile to find out about the process through the webpage, www.unaconstitucionparachile.cl or by phoning the toll free number 600-204-0000. Additionally, all telephone centers belonging to Fundación de la Familia will have computers and staff available to inform people about the constitutional process.

In closing, President Bachelet instructed those present, “don’t worry if you don’t know the technical jargon, because afterwards, when the new Constitution is drafted, there will be specialists who will insert the most suitable words and find the best way to express this great law, the mother of all laws—the Constitution”.