[resumen.cl] After what the political class characterised as an 'Agreement for Peace and a New Constitution', various social organisations and movements announced their rejection of a process that does not satisfy the wishes and demands of the community. In a recent statement, Unidad Social (Social Unity), the main umbrella group of mobilised organisations announced that: 'This midnight agreement between political parties, with no participation or legitimacy on the part of those who have participated in the mobilisations, was drawn up literally at the same time as state repression and systematic violations of human rights continued. It was drawn up behind closed doors and behind the backs of the social movements.'

Unidad Social, which comprises roughly 200 organisations of residents of slum districts, trade unions and professional organisations, feminist, social and environmental, and many other organisations, announced that they reject the ‘Agreement for Peace and a New Constitution’ signed in the early morning hours of Friday, 15 October, by the representatives of ten political parties from the left, right, and centre, as well as the signature of deputy Gabriel Boric in his personal capacity, except for certain parties of the Frente Amplio coalition and the Communist Party.

The reasons given by Unidad Social for their rejection of the agreement include: 1) The existence of an excessive 2/3 quorum that perpetuates the veto power of minorities over majorities, 2) Discrimination against the under 18s, who would not be permitted to vote, 3) The lack of any mechanisms for plurinational participation and gender parity, 4) The fact that it establishes an election and representation mechanism that serves the interests of the political parties that have been responsible for the current political and social crisis in Chile.

The umbrella group also state that it is essential to create a ‘Truth and Justice Commission’ to ensure that there will be no impunity for those bearing political responsibility, as well as the military police [Carabineros], and the armed forces, and that they will be tried for their human rights violations.

They also emphasised the territorial assemblies, cabildos, and trawün that are already democratically developing the necessary proposals and changes. For all these reasons, Unidad Social called upon the social movements to continue their mobilisations to build an authentic Plurinational, Equitable Constitutional Assembly and an immediate agenda to restore social and economic rights and end precarity and the social and environmental crisis. They further call for the National Congress to suspend the legislative agenda, which includes such disastrous bills as the bill ratifying the TPP11 (Transpacific Partnership) treaty.

Lastly, they called on the people of Chile to be ready for new calls for national mobilisation and a new general strike.

Translation: Élise Hendrick

Read the full statement below:

STATEMENT: UNIDAD SOCIAL REJECTS THE AGREEMENT FOR PEACE AND A NEW CONSTITUTION

On behalf of Unidad Social [Social Unity], an umbrella organisation comprising more than 200 social organisations, trades unions, human rights groups, environmental and feminist organisations, as well as organisations representing indigenous peoples, slum residents, migrants, health care workers, people with disabilities, secondary and university education, teachers, and academics, we wish to state that we reject the 'Agreement for Peace and a New Constitution'. This midnight agreement between political parties, with no participation or legitimacy on the part of those who have participated in the mobilisations, was drawn up literally at the same time as state repression and systematic violations of human rights continued. It was drawn up behind closed doors and behind the backs of the social movements.
The agreement's origins can be easily seen from the fact that the Agreement includes mechanisms that we emphatically reject: 1) An elevated quorum that perpetuates the veto power of minorities. 2) It discriminates against the under 18s. 3) It lacks any mechanism for plurinational participation and gender parity. 4) It establishes an election and representation mechanism that serves the interests of the political parties that have been responsible for the current political and social crisis.
The need for a constitutional assembly that is felt across the entire society can only be understood as the fruit of popular mobilisation. This popular advance necessarily implies a break with the neoliberal model imposed during the dictatorship and consolidated by the governments of the Concertación and the right wing over the last 30 years. At this time, we should be able to move irrevocably towards a Plurinational, Equitable Constitutional Assembly.
Those who bear political responsibility for criminal repression against the peoples of Chile on the part of the government, the Armed Forces, and the military police [Carabineros] must not be allowed to go unpunished, and must be subjected to immediate trial. The formation of a 'Truth and Justice Commission' and the immediate cessation of all policies of criminalisation and repression against social movements and those in the struggle are of fundamental importance. No democracy can be built upon impunity.
Even amidst the repression and terrorism of the state, an unprecedented process of participatory deliberation has taken form through cabildos, territorial assemblies, and the trawün [Mapuzügün word for assembly], which are democratically giving form to our proposals for the changes necessary to build a new society.
For the above reasons, we call for the mobilisation for an authentic Plurinational, Equitable Constitutional Assembly to continue, and for an immediate agenda to restore social and economic rights and end the increasing precarity of life and the social and environmental crisis. At the same time, we call for an end to the neoliberal legislative agenda of the executive branch, including the withdrawal of projects such as TPP11, the Social Integration Act [Ley de Integración Social], and the Universal Daycare Act [Ley de Sala Cuna Universal].
For these reasons, in the coming days, we will call upon the population and the social organisations to carry out a new general strike and day of protest. Likewise, we will present a proposal for a Plurinational Constitutional Assembly and a programme of change developed by the social movements.