President Piñera offers statement following National Referendum

President Piñera’s remarks are presented below:

My fellow Chileans,

Today Chilean men and women have freely expressed their will at the polls, choosing the option of a Constitutional Convention, for the first time with full equality between men and women, to agree upon a new Constitution for Chile.

Today we have once again shown the democratic, participatory and pacific nature of the spirit of our people and the soul of our nation, thus honoring our beautiful republican tradition. Today the voice of all citizens was heard with the same force and each vote had the same value.

Today the people and democracy have triumphed. Today unity has prevailed over division, and peace over violence. And this is a triumph for all Chileans who love democracy, unity and peace. This triumph of democracy should undoubtedly fill us with happiness and hope.

Chileans have shown that dialogue is more fruitful than intolerance, that collaboration is more powerful than confrontation and that hope is more inspiring than fear.

The referendum is not the end. It is the beginning of a path that we must travel to agree upon a new Constitution for Chile. Thus far, the Constitution has divided us. Starting today, we must work together so that the new Constitution is a great framework of unity, of stability and of the future, and so that it constitutes a Home for Everyone and the Fundamental Law of the Republic that is respected and legitimated by all Chileans.

Our government made two firm, clear commitments, which constitute a mission of the State: First, to organize and hold a transparent, participatory and safe referendum so that the will of the Chilean people could be expressed freely and peacefully. I am sure that all Chileans feel excited and proud to see how older adults, people with disabilities, and young people participated in peace and harmony. We also made a commitment to protect Chileans’ health, and we took all of the health precautions that the voting process required.

And secondly, to promote a Constitution that reflects the values and principles that are alive in the soul of our society. A Constitution that honors the democratic and republican traditions of our nation. A Constitution that recognizes and protects the rights and dreams of its citizens. And a Constitution that organizes the branches of government and protects the people from abuse and discrimination.

Our Government will always be on the side of freedom, democracy, peace and human rights. Our Government will always be committed to the rule of law, justice and equality of dignity, opportunities, rights and duties of all of our people.

My fellow countrymen and women,

On the evening of Tuesday, November 12 of last year, after a day of destructive violence, as President of Chile I proposed to the Chilean people three great agreements: an Agreement for Peace, an Agreement for Justice, and an Agreement for a New Constitution.

On the evening of Friday, November 15, at a critical time for our republic, a great majority of legislators and political parties reached an Agreement for Peace and the New Constitution that allowed us to travel the paths of dialogue and agreements.

And so a democratic, peaceful path based on agreements was born to guide our country towards the constitutional referendum that we are celebrating today, which marks the beginning of a constituent process.

A Constitution never starts from zero, because it represents the coming together of generations. A Constitution must always engage the legacy of the generations that went before us, the freedom and will of today's generations and the hope of the generations to come.

In order for this constituent process to achieve its goals and bear fruit, all men and women of good will must give the best of ourselves, open our spirits to dialogue, practice respect and tolerance and be willing to reach agreements.

We have had to face extraordinarily difficult times over the past few months. The wave of violence and destruction that has caused so much damage to Chilean families. The worst health crisis of the past century and deepest global recession in decades.

We know that all of these challenges and adversities have caused a great deal of pain and hardship for the immense majority of Chilean families.

For these reasons, and beyond the new Constitution, our government has a clear and firm commitment to continue moving forward tirelessly to alleviate and meet the major needs and lacks that have caused such pain and anguish for Chilean families, and that were clearly expressed in last year’s peaceful demonstrations.

For all of these reasons, apart from ensuring that we have an exemplary constituent and electoral process, the commitment and priority of our government during the coming months will be to recover lost jobs, create more jobs with better salaries, protect Chileans’ health and lives by overcoming the coronavirus pandemic, and reactivate our economy and country.

We also will concentrate our efforts on strengthening the Social Protection Network, promoting the Social Security Reform and protecting public order and safety.

My fellow Chileans,

Chile and its people have come up against adversity many times, but we have never let it crush our spirit.

Today it is time to heal the wounds of the past, unite our resolve and lift our gaze to the future.

I would like to close by recognizing and thanking everyone who contributed to a constitutional referendum that makes us proud as Chileans: To the election officials and poll workers, Interior Ministry, Electoral Service, the Armed Forces and the public agencies involved. And especially to the millions of citizens in Chile and abroad who did their civic duty, helped those who needed it, followed the health measures and made their contribution by voting in this referendum. That is love for Chile.

I would like to ask all Chileans to go home peacefully at the end of this election day. Take care of yourselves, follow the health measures and condemn all acts of violence, which generate such suffering and fear for Chilean families.

I feel proud of what Chileans have achieved together, and I am asking all of you to join us so that we can rise to this historic challenge and so that I can meet my responsibilities and mission as President of Chile.

I also want to share with all of you my most profound faith and hope that we will once again stand up, as we always have, and resume our progress towards a better future.

We are a great nation and a great family. We all love our country, we all want the best for our loved ones, and we all know that in order to move forward together, we must not leave anyone behind.

May God bless Chile and its democracy.
May God bless the Chilean people.
Thank you and have a very good night.