Eleanor Finch
Chile has had many constitutions throughout its history, with the first long-lasting constitution being written by Portales, the de facto ruler of Chile. The second constitution of Chile was adopted in 1925, in the midst of instability and discontent generated by World War I and related events such as the collapse of the nitrate export trade, the rise of new political ideologies, and the emergence of the labour movement. This constitution followed classical liberal and democratic lines, allowing for institutional continuity while also codifying significant changes such as the separation of church and state, recognition of workers' rights, and an increase in the powers of the directly elected president.
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What You'll Learn
Chile's independence from Spain in 1818
Chile is a country in South America, between Argentina and Peru. It is bordered by the South Pacific Ocean. In the early 1800s, it was a colony of Spain, and Spain had many colonies in South America.
In 1808, Napoleon Bonaparte, a powerful military leader in France, took control of Spain. This meant that the Spanish king, King Ferdinand VII, was no longer in charge. This was a big change and it caused a lot of problems for Spain and its colonies. The colonies were left to manage on their own and many people in these colonies began to think about becoming independent from Spain. This is when they would no longer be ruled by Spain and could make their own decisions as a new country.
In Chile, there were two groups: the Patriots, who wanted to be completely independent from Spain, and the Royalists, who wanted to stay loyal to the Spanish king and keep things as they were. This led to a war, which is when countries fight each other using their armies. This war in Chile lasted from 1810 to 1818 and is called the Chilean War of Independence.
The Patriots, led by a man named Bernardo O'Higgins, fought against the Royalists. They had help from another group of rebels, the Argentinian rebels, who were also fighting against Spanish rule. On February 12, 1818, O'Higgins read out a carefully written declaration, which officially announced that Chile was now an independent country. This is a very important date in Chilean history.
After this, there were still some battles to make sure that Chile was fully independent. One of these was the Battle of Maipu on April 5, 1818, where the Patriots won a big victory against the Royalists. This is often seen as the final step towards Chilean independence.
Even after independence, Chile had a lot of problems. There were different groups fighting for power, and the country was in a state of chaos for some time. It took a while for things to settle down and for Chile to become a stable country with its own government and rules, which is called a republic.
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The 1925 constitution
Chile is a country in South America. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean and shares borders with Argentina and Peru. Chile gained independence from Spain in 1818.
After Chile became independent, there was a lot of fighting between different groups who wanted control of the country. Eventually, a man called Diego Portales took control. He wrote the country's first long-lasting constitution, which gave a lot of power to the person who was president.
However, over time, people started to disagree with this. They thought that the president and the government had too much power and that ordinary people should have more of a say. This led to a brief civil war in 1891, which resulted in a parliamentary republic being formed.
In 1925, Chile got a new constitution. This was a time of great instability and unhappiness in the country, partly because of the First World War and its consequences. People were very unhappy with the government and thought that it was corrupt and unable to solve Chile's problems. The 1925 constitution made some important changes. It separated the church from the state, meaning that religion would no longer play a role in how the country was governed. It also gave workers the right to form groups and unions and fight for better conditions. Additionally, it promised that the government would take care of all citizens and work for their social welfare.
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Polarized politics and the 1973 coup
Chile's politics became more divided between the left and right after the Cuban Revolution in 1959. The left and right-wing factions were both becoming more extreme in their views. Matters became worse during Salvador Allende's presidency, as his group of leftist parties faced off against the center-right opposition.
The 1973 congressional elections were hoped to provide a clear winner and a mandate to govern, but the results were inconclusive. This led to an escalation of the conflict, with violent protests and even threats of insurgency.
On September 11, 1973, the military, led by the heads of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and national police, took control of the country in a coup. They bombed the presidential palace, and President Allende died by suicide. The military junta, or leadership, began a harsh campaign against communists and socialists. General Augusto Pinochet became the new leader of Chile and started a 17-year dictatorship. His rule was marked by human rights abuses, including torture, murder, and exile, which mainly targeted left-wing opponents of his regime.
The coup ended a long period of democratic elections in Chile, which had lasted since 1932. It was a very violent event in Chilean history and was supported by the US government, which wanted to stop Allende, a Marxist, from being president. The US helped by funding strikes and giving money to Allende's opponents.
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The 2022 referendum
Chile is a country in South America. It has had many different constitutions throughout its history. A constitution is a set of rules that everyone in a country agrees to follow, including the government.
In 2022, Chile had its second constitution, but many people did not like it and wanted to change it. The 2022 referendum was a vote where Chilean people could say if they liked the new constitution or not. The new constitution was written by a group of people called the Constitutional Convention. This new constitution was very different from the old one, which was written during a time of dictatorship.
After the 2022 referendum, Chile's politicians tried to make a new constitution again. They called this process the "Agreement for Chile". This time, they wanted to include more people in writing the constitution so that it would be fairer. They planned to have a group of experts and also a group of people elected by voters to work on the new constitution together. However, this new constitution was also rejected in a referendum in December 2023.
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The current constitution
Chile is a country in South America. It is found between Argentina and Peru, next to the South Pacific Ocean. Chile has had many constitutions throughout its history. A constitution is a set of rules that say how a country should be governed.
Chile's first long-lasting constitution was written by Diego Portales in 1829. He was the de facto ruler of Chile at the time and his constitution established a strong central government dominated by the chief executive.
In 1925, Chile got a new constitution. This was because people were unhappy with their government after the First World War. The new constitution was similar to the old one but it also included some big changes, like separating church and state, and recognising workers' rights.
In 1973, there was a coup in Chile. This means that a group of people in the military and police took control of the country by force. They did this because they thought the government was violating the constitution. After this, a new constitution was written in 1980, during a dictatorship.
In 2022, Chile tried to get a new constitution again. This time, the proposed constitution was written by people from political parties on the left. However, 62% of voters rejected it. So, in 2023, there was another referendum on a new constitution, this time written by people from political parties on the right. This was also rejected by voters, with 56% voting against it.
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Frequently asked questions
A constitution is a set of rules that everyone in a country agrees to follow. It includes important things like who is in charge, how people can vote, and what rights people have.
Yes! Chile has had a few different constitutions over the years. The first long-lasting constitution was written a long time ago, and the most recent one was written in 1980. There have been a few attempts to change the 1980 constitution, but none have been successful so far.
In 2022, Chile tried to change its constitution, but most people did not like the new version and voted against it.
