Constitution of Chile (1980)

The Pinochet era charter, democratized in 2005 and surviving two replacement attempts.

Overview

Approved by contested referendum under the military government in September 1980, the Chilean Constitution created a strongly presidential system with authoritarian enclaves, appointed senators, and a national security council with political roles. Negotiated reforms in 1989 and a major 2005 package under Lagos removed most enclaves, making it fully democratic in structure. The 2019 estallido social triggered a replacement process whose 2022 draft was rejected by 62 percent in referendum, and a second 2023 conservative draft was rejected by 55 percent, leaving the 1980 text, amended, in force as one of the most contested and yet resilient constitutions in the region.