Sunday evening and it was pouring rain in Central Texas, but the news on the radio was a joy.  Down in Chile, the people rejected a leftist constitution:

Chileans resoundingly rejected a new constitution to replace a charter imposed by the dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet 41 years ago. The vote dealt a stinging setback to President Gabriel Boric, who argued the document would have ushered in a progressive era.

With 96% of the votes counted in Sunday's plebiscite, the rejection camp had 61.9% support compared to 38.1% for approval amid what appeared to be a heavy turnout with long lines at polling states. Voting was mandatory.

The approval camp conceded defeat, with its spokesman Vlado Mirosevic saying: "We recognize this result and we listen with humility to what the Chilean people have expressed."

Well, Chileans said "no" in big numbers.

Yes, Pinochet's constitution, as the left calls it, could be improved, but this new document was more about transforming the country rather than anything else.  It was an excuse to make Chile "more woke," and the locals saw through the farce.  The proposed constitution was about gender parity and climate change.  In the end, Chileans said no!  No!  NO!

Image: Chileans celebrate the referendum's outcome.  YouTube screen grab.

Late last night, I called my good friend in Chile, and his home was in a festive mood.  They were happy and said what a lot of Chileans were saying: "We didn't vote for communism."  Indeed not.  President Boric benefited from a weak conservative opponent and anger over COVID.  He misread public opinion and got slapped by voters who do not want to destroy their economic success story.

Is President Petro of Colombia listening?  He also defeated a weak conservative candidate in a close election dominated by anger over COVID.  He wants big changes, too, but he has no mandate for that, as his "amigo" Boric learned on Sunday.

Thank you, Chile.

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