104 figures from the arts, sciences, academia, politics, and human rights sign support for the rejection | National

This Sunday, 104 well-known Chilean personalities from fields as diverse as art, culture, science, medicine, academia, politics or human rights issued a message expressing their support for the choice. rejection for the new constitution.

Among them are many former ministers and collaborators of former presidents Salvador Allende, Patricio Aylwin, Eduardo Fray Ruiz Tagli, Ricardo Lagos and Michel Bachelet.

In the letter sent to Bío Bío, the signatories emphasized that from initial support for the constitutional initiative due to the need for a new democratically elected Basic Charter, they moved to disappointment with what they see as structural problems in the proposed text.

“Unfortunately, we, the signatories here, believe that the constitutional proposal, despite its progress in legality and fundamental rights according to the twenty-first century – which must be preserved – It poses structural problems that jeopardize the good care of our institutions and the stability of our democratic system‘, they point out.

As an example, they cite what could be their three main problems: an excessive concentration of power in the House and Representatives that weakens the separation of powers in a democratic state; politicizing the judicial system through the creation of a supervisory board appointed by parliamentarians themselves and seats reserved for indigenous peoples; And the concept of pluralism of nationalities, which they describe as a “radical identity” that would jeopardize the country’s unity.

“All of the above, as well as other, no less serious problems, It leaves us exposed to the fact that tomorrow is left or right populism, so in the vogue of these times it has dramatically altered the stability of our democratic system and, therefore, our coexistence‘, they confirm.

Likewise, the signatories point out that the “late” agreement to introduce reforms to the eventually approved constitution “does not resolve the points raised and preserve the political, economic and social uncertainty in which our country finds itself.”

Therefore, they demand a renewal of the foundational effort, but through a new text that provides greater guarantees of democracy and includes all sectors of society.

“The undersigned, we believe that Chile deserves more, and we believe that it is necessary to equip ourselves with a new constitution, but this cannot leave open aspects that make it possible to weaken democracy that has cost us so much to recover. We need a constitution that summons and brings together a large majority of Chileans, not A constitution that divides and ignores broad sectors that will not feel represented by it,” they said.

104 Signed Rejection

Among the followers of the message are representatives Alvaro RodolfiAnd the Pablo Diaz s Diego Ruiz.

Architects Matthias KlotzAnd the Rodrigo Mendes Blanlot And the Ivan Bodo.

Economist and former Undersecretary of the Economy of Salvador Allende, Oscar Garretton.

Economists Vivian BlanlowAnd the Jorge Rodriguez Grossi s Rene CortazarFormer ministers in the government of Michelle Bachelet.

former ministers Pedro Garcia, Felipe Sandoval, Soledad Alvear, Jose Pablo Arellano, Eduardo Aninat, Mariana Aylwin, Eduardo Dukendorf.

visual artists Gonzalo CienfuegosAnd the Teresa AninatAnd the Marcelo Larin s Benjamin Lyra.

Principal conductor of the Chilean Chamber Orchestra and National Music Award, John Paul Turk.

Former Deans Claudio Elortegui (Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso), Peter Uribe (Andres Bello University) and Louis Rivers (University of Chile).

Richard Brodskya former ambassador, and former director of the Museum of Memory and Human Rights and the Gabriela Mistral Museum.

Former Ambassadors Ernesto Tirrone, Fernando Molina Vallejo, Iris Boeninger, German Guerrero Pavez and Alvaro Briones.

Jorge Barrospsychiatrist and Head of the Department of Psychiatry at the Faculty of Medicine of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile; Veronica LarachAndrés Bello University, Professor of Psychiatry; s Louis GumberovHe is a psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, academic, and former director of the Jose Horowitz Barrack Psychiatric Hospital.

Henry “Cote” EvansLawyer, academic and social communicator.

Manuel CocolganMD, PhD, former dean of the University of Chile Medical School.

You can review the entire letter as well as the entire signatories below: