the route to chile's referendum went
through this subway station
students mostly protesting a rise in
fairs
a heavy-handed response from security
personnel
led to stunning scenes of mass protest
in the streets of santiago and other
chilean cities
dozens died during riots arson and
looting that caused extensive damage
and prompted a military presence on the
streets
but the peaceful protesters persevered
calling for an overhaul of chile's
social and economic model
and gaining a key demand a vote on
whether to toss out the old magna carta
the constitution adopted during the
brutal 17-year dictatorship of general
augusto pinochet which ended in 1990
a period when thousands were tortured
killed or they were disappeared
this will be a historic event for the
first time in the history of the
republic
we will be consulted on whether or not
we want a new constitution
and who should draft it
the subway stations were cleaned up
after the demonstrations and rioting a
year ago but emotions have been peaking
again
peaceful anti-government demonstrations
last sunday
were marred by the burning of two
churches vandals
cheering the collapse of a church spire
not what those promoting a yes vote on a
change to the constitution
want their protests to be remembered for
we're not seeing any change health care
is the same pensions
that's what we're fighting for for more
than a year our pensions our wages our
education everything
but i don't see any change after a year
of the social upheaval i am out in the
street because i want changes to our
health system
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on the other side thousands have hit the
streets to protest
against change no they say to a rewrite
of the constitution
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by shifting to a new constitution we're
in great danger of falling into
something like what happened to
venezuela
if it happened to venezuela why wouldn't
it happen to us
we'll keep the same constitution and
make the necessary reforms to it
no voters insist the government working
within the present constitution
will help those left behind since the
magna carta was adopted
yes voters say start from scratch with
the participation of the people
and let the world see what chilean
democracy 2.0
looks like dwu's johann ramirez joins us
from the chilean capital santiago
johan what's at stake in this referendum
tomorrow chile will define whether or
not they want to have a new constitution
and also they will choose uh through
which mechanism
they want this new constitution to be
drafted
more than 15 million people are called
to to vote tomorrow after a year of
massive process that have been held is
this in the same place
the plaza italia italy square that has
been the the main hotspot of the protest
today is it was very calm during the day
and now
as the evening con we have seen some
people protesting against the police
some people throwing
rocks against the police and the police
and militars moving around
to prevent any uh clash in this day just
a few hours before the the referendum
take place here in chile
now a new referendum has been one of the
key demands
from the protesters why are they so
opposed to the current one
one of the main critics that people do
against this constitution is the the the
legitimacy of the origin of the
constitution it was written during the
dictatorship
of augusto pinochet more than 30 years
ago
it was written for people who was not
choose shows
by the people uh in an electoral event
in a time where they were not free press
knee
international observers so it's a legacy
of the dictatorship and there are many
things many uh
public policies that cannot be taken
that cannot take place
because of this constitution so the main
social changes that need
chile are in a way blocked because of
this constitution
now if chileans vote in favor of the new
constitution on sunday are we likely to
see an end
to the anger
it doesn't look alike i mean um there
are many
uh problems like uh ground problems in
chile
that are beyond this constitution i mean
chile needs really uh
important public policies to change the
health system
uh many other things education
uh for all people and these things
cannot be changed just because
of a boat it's a first step but it will
change the framework of the state
but the the hurt of the problems our
public policies and for that
we need also the will of politicians and
as i tell you
right now we will listen already the
clashes people throwing rocks against
the police
and we we fell already a little bit the
the pepper gas that maybe the police are
starting moving around because
uh the vote tomorrow is very important
but it won't
change the main problems of the country
no from one day to another
thank you johan johan ramirez there in
santiago