Chile coming to its senses

By Silvio Canto, Jr.

Not long ago, leftist President Gabriel Boric was elected in a tight election and many, myself included, feared that Chile may be going down the wrong path.

Boric rode a wave of discontent over COVID, a RINO problem on the right, low economic growth, and a poorly organized opposition.

That was then, and this is now.

Over the weekend, Chileans sent a strong signal that they don't want a Cuba or Venezuela in their future.

This is the story:

Chile's far-right Republican Party finished in first place Sunday in a nationwide vote to choose the 50 members of a committee that will draft a replacement to the country's dictatorship-era constitution, according to an official count.

The Servel election authority reported that with almost all ballots counted, the Republican Party had won 35 percent of the vote, corresponding to 22 seats on the constitutional rewrite committee.

Traditional right-wing parties won a further 21 percent, giving conservatives an additional 11 seats, while the left-wing coalition supported by President Gabriel Boric finished with 29 percent, or 11 committee members.

It is the second time that voters in the South American country have been called to take part in the rewriting of the 1980 constitution, adopted under the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship.

In September, a previous text produced by a constitutional assembly made up mostly of political independents was rejected by 62 percent of voters.

Huge victory and a strong signal that Chilean voters want no part of a new constitution based on climate change and socialism. Economist Dan Mitchell has more commentary on this big defeat for the left, here. (See this, too.)

It is also a ray of hope for Colombians who also saw a leftist win a close election last year.

My good Chilean friend, who goes back to my school days, told me on the phone that voters are frustrated with crime and the economy. He agrees with me that Baric's election was a wake up call to the middle class, and Chile has a large middle class. Many conservative voters were angry and divided thus making it possible for Baric to win. It looks like Chileans had a glimpse of the future and got their act together and voted against the left.

Cheers for Chile today.

P.S.: Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.

Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License